


Eye For an Eye; Soul For a Soul

by Kittymama85



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Flashbacks, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 04:23:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6738100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittymama85/pseuds/Kittymama85
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kristin is plagued by memories of her boyfriend's death, forcing her out of retirement. A demon from her past comes calling and this time she teams up with the Winchesters to send him back to Hell. Dean's deal remains a secret, but Kristin may be more involved than any of them ever expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nightmares and Dreamscapes

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set in good old Season 3 and I try to honor the flow of the show, but I do take some liberties. For instance, no Ruby in this story world, at least for now. ENJOY!

The rain was beating steadily against the window, a thankful reprieve from the recent heat wave that had taken over the small town just outside of Baltimore. Thunder rolled in the distance and lightning lit up the night sky, illuminating the interior of the small one bedroom apartment. All seemed quiet on the inside save for the occasional light snore emerging from the left side of the king sized bed.

Her eyes shot open at the sensation of falling within her dream and for a moment she was disoriented by her surroundings. Blinking, she glanced over at the sleeping mound of her boyfriend just as another flash of lightning broke the darkness. His back was to her and he seemed unaware of her jolt back to reality. She blew out a breath but quickly clammed up again when a creak in the floorboard was heard from the living room.

At first it seemed like the normal sounds of a building settling, but as she craned her neck to listen closely another groan of protest from the wood rang out. _Someone was in the apartment._ The thought sent chills down her spine as she closed her eyes in an attempt to gather her wits. She knew that it would eventually come to this, living in a neighborhood so close to the city limits. Luckily, she had always been prepared for such an occasion and silently reached for her bedside table.

The small hallway outside the bedroom door was vacant as she slipped out quietly, her Glock 19 grasped tightly in her right hand, at her side. She slid down the hallway, her back against the wall careful not to make any noise as her bare feet padded lightly on the hardwood. Her senses were on high alert as she peeked around the corner into the living room. Nothing seemed out of place in the darkness as her eyes adjusted, but the feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that she was not alone. With a staggered breath she stepped into the room, her gun now drawn in front of her. Just then a bolt of lightning crackled outside and for a split second the entire room seemed to glow. She took the opportunity to scan the room and froze when she saw a shadow disappear into the kitchen. 

With cat like prowess she made a beeline to the open doorway ready to pounce on the intruder. Her jaw worked hard as she rounded the corner and pointed the gun into the small space expecting just about anything except what she found. Nothing. With a scoff she lowered her gun just as a rumble of thunder shook the building. Just on the fringe of the bellowing sound she heard a sickening scream erupt from the bedroom.

_No. Jeremy._ Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she broke into a sprint, nearly colliding with the coffee table in her frenzied attempt to reach the bedroom. She burst through the door and almost collapsed at the horrifying sight. Blood. So much blood. Everywhere. She could feel her chest tighten and breath quicken at the sound of Jeremy’s gurgling last breath. Time seemed to stand still as her eyes focused on the being standing beside the broken body of her boyfriend. 

“You really thought you could just _retire_ , Kristin?” The smile on his lips blurred as her vision became clouded with angry tears. A vengeful scream erupted from her mouth and echoed all around as darkness enveloped her.

She shot up in bed gasping for air and clawing at the invisible presence she was sure was before her. Her eyes darted around the room and it was then that she realized she was alone. Her skin felt clammy and the sheets clung to her from the combination of fear induced sweat and the temperature in the stuffy motel room. A small cry escaped her lips as she held her heaving chest and collapsed onto the pillow. Four months and the same horrible memory still plagued her dreams. Again she had to watch her failure. Her failure to protect her loved one, her failure to kill the son of a bitch that had taken his life, and her complete failure at successfully tricking herself into thinking that a hunter’s life could just be swept under the rug. That one day, her past wouldn’t come back to bite her in the ass and crush all hopes of a normal life.

With a sigh, Kristin flung back the covers and shuffled into the bathroom. She braced herself against the sink and stared at the haunted look in her hazel eyes. Her dark brown hair was pasted to her forehead and her normally porcelain cheeks were flush. Fresh tears threatened to spill over but she bit them back with a curse. She turned on the faucet and took a handful of cool water to splash onto her face. Sleep was going to be impossible for the remainder of the evening.

After drying off she padded over to the small table and fired up her laptop, determined to find something to keep her busy. Her Google search found several mundane news articles in the towns surrounding her current location, so she broadened the search. Her eyes flickered with interest when she settled on a continuing story out of Carlisle, Pennsylvania about several children going missing within the last few months. Most were stolen from their beds while others were thought to have been lured away by the same individual. Several eyewitnesses claimed to have seen a middle aged woman talking with the young children, but it never threw up any red flags at the time as the children seemed almost enchanted as if they knew her. It could be nothing, but Kristin didn’t have any other leads to go on at the moment. 

The next few hours were spent searching the best routes and listening to music on her iPod. Before she knew it the sun was trickling in through the curtains and hunger started to nag at her empty stomach. After a quick shower she threw on a pair of jeans, a dark blue tank top and her old, black leather jacket with the hidden pocket for her trusty old Glock. She ran across the street to the 24 hour diner and feasted on a ham, egg and cheese bagel with hash browns and the largest cup of coffee they had. It would be about a 6 hour drive and although she was used to being alone, she knew that a boost was always needed.

She climbed into her beloved gray ‘69 Mustang and deposited her gun into the glove box before hooking her iPod up to the auxiliary cable Jeremy had installed for her a year ago. He had been very handy with cars which is what lured them together in the first place. Kristin shook her head before another long lost memory could creep in and selected an artist from her heavy metal playlist. She smiled as “Bat Country” by Avenged Sevenfold came blaring from the speakers and fired up the engine. 

****

“Dean, seriously, give it a rest,” Sam groaned as Metallica’s “Fuel” started again for the fourth time that day. They had been driving for five hours with only a quick gasoline and bathroom break along the way. As usual Dean had control of the music selection which most of the time was the same loop of classic rock.

“What? This gets me amped up.” Dean threw a sideways smirk at his brother, knowing exactly what the repetition was doing to him. He started singing along and drumming on the steering wheel to exaggerate. Sam rolled his eyes and hastily ejected the cassette tape. “Hey! Don’t touch my stuff, Sammy!”

“I’ll stop touching your stuff when you stop calling me Sammy,” he stated matter-of-factly. 

“Ok, how does bitch suit you?” Dean turned to look at him, emphasizing the word ‘bitch’ with his eyebrows raised. Sam scoffed and shook his head before glancing out the window.

“Look, there’s a motel up on the right. Stop there.”

“So bossy, Samantha.” Dean grinned. He had made it a game to torture his little brother for the entire trip. After being on the road without a case in a while, entertainment was few and far between so he had to find ways to pass the time.

He pulled the Impala into the vacant lot and shut off the engine just in time for Sam to hop out. Sam slammed the door and headed into the office before Dean could get another word in. He was glad to put some distance between them, even if it was only a few minutes. While Sam waited for the manager to grab a room key, Dean leaned against the car and surveyed his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but not much would to any normal bystander. To Dean, it was the same small town with pretty little houses hiding a supernatural secret. At least, he hoped so for the sake of getting back to work. 

Children went missing all the time, but the quantity and frequency of these kidnappings seemed a little odd. Also the fact that a woman, as opposed to a run of the mill creeper, was seen several times before the children went missing tugged at both of them. It couldn’t hurt to check it out.

“Ready?” Sam nodded towards the trunk and Dean opened it so they could grab their belongings. As they headed to their room Dean heard a low rumble from an engine and a faint electric guitar studded tune coming closer. He glanced back towards the road just in time to see a gray Mustang speed by, windows down and music blaring. He couldn’t see the driver, but let out a low whistle as the classic disappeared from view.

“Nice,” he muttered before heading in and tossing his duffle onto the floor. “Nice,” he muttered again in a sarcastic tone as he looked around at their new accommodations.

****

Kristin groaned as she stretched her arms above her head, grateful to be out of the car. She looked around as several locals passed by on the sidewalk, carrying bags and chatting with each other. Every now and then she would see a child held tightly by the hand of their guardian, an ever present alert look on their face. She wondered how many children were being held hostage in their own homes, their parents fearing the worst if they stepped outside for even one minute. 

The town had a beautiful, historic, homey feel that made it even harder to grasp that there was real danger lurking about. Kristin walked, seemingly without purpose, down the sidewalk glancing in the windows of local stores. Every now and then someone would catch her eye and she smiled. Truth be told, she did have a purpose. She was getting a lay of the land before diving head first into the investigation. Even the smallest detail could help figure out what was really happening in this pristine little country town.

After a short walk she came upon a playground backed by a small patch of woods. She remembered from some of the articles that this was one of the sites where several children were last seen. As she neared, it was eerie just how empty it looked. No longer did the sound of laughing children fill the air and the swings swayed a little in the cool breeze. Kristin circled the area, observing the woods from different angles and wondering how deep they really went. It seemed like a logical place to lure unsuspecting children, but the local police hadn’t found any evidence of importance. Some footprints, bent branches, but no clothing or blood that would lead to foul play.

Kristin walked up and down the line that separated the playground from the woods, glancing from her feet to the tips of the trees as she went. With a sigh she stopped, hands on her hips and kicked the ground absent mindedly. Her nose crinkled when she heard a soft crunch beneath her foot. Looking down she noticed a short length of snake skin that looked recently shed. She bent down to give it a closer inspection but froze as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. It was that all too familiar feeling of being watched.

Kristin rose slowly, staring into the woods, knowing that the eyes upon her were originating from within. Her hand instinctively went to her inside jacket pocket but didn’t draw her weapon. She waited, breath bated for someone or something to show itself. Taking a step forward, she was shaken from her intent when a group of teenagers came by, carrying on loudly about a concert they were going to later that evening. The sensation was gone just as quickly as it had come and Kristin backed away, dropping her hand back to her side.

Suddenly her stomach growled with contempt at not being fed since breakfast and she gave in to the request, heading back towards a little mom and pop restaurant she noticed when she first parked. She would refuel first then make an attempt to dig into the mystery surrounding this case.

**** 

The waitress smiled as she placed two glasses of water in front of the brothers, lingering a little longer than usual when they asked for a few minutes. She chanced another sideways glance at Sam as she turned to attend to another table across the room.

“I think she likes you, Sammy.” Dean grinned at the embarrassment on Sam’s face as he quickly looked over at the pretty blonde.

“Shut up,” he mumbled before turning his attention back to the menu.

“Seriously dude, you need to get some. Make you more bearable to be around.”

“Make _me_ more bearable?” Sam looked up with a scowl and a raised eyebrow. “You’re the one who's been a huge pain in my ass the past few weeks.”

“Perks of being an older brother, Sammy.” Dean chuckled and sipped at his water. “No really though. I want to see you have some fun.” Seriousness was in his voice now as the last few years flashed through his mind. Every time Sam got close to a woman it always seemed to end horribly and his brother deserved at least a few fleeting moments of happiness.

“Our definitions of fun seem to differ, Dean.” Sam cleared his throat, not looking away from the menu.

Dean sighed and decided to let it drop for once. He would work on him later, after he had some food in his grumbling stomach. He didn’t need to look at the menu because he knew exactly what he wanted; a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a slice of apple pie. Instead, out of habit he let his eyes roam around the restaurant, taking note of every person. An older couple here, a group of teenagers there, and a man in a business suit taking a lunch break at the counter no doubt. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Then, his eyes settled on a woman sitting towards the back near the bathrooms. She was facing towards the front door, seemingly taking inventory of the place just as he had been doing. He watched as she idly tucked a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear and noticed a brief flash of a tattoo on her left wrist, mostly hidden by the sleeve of her leather jacket. As she sipped her coffee their eyes locked for a fraction of a second and Dean gave a ghost of a smile in her direction. She blinked as if surprised but before another exchange could be made, the waitress returned.

“You guys ready to order?” Dean turned back towards the blonde and rattled off his order before glancing back towards the brunette that caught his attention. She was already on her feet, tossing a few dollars on the table for a tip. He watched as she crossed the restaurant towards the door and looked at him again. It was a brief look and then she was outside crossing the street before he could even blink. A rush of heat ran through his veins as she climbed into the Mustang he had seen earlier, appreciation flooding his features.

“Dean, are you listening?” Sam’s voice broke the trance and Dean whipped his head back around.

“Hmm?” Sam sighed and watched as the woman in the Mustang drove away. He knew exactly what his brother was thinking, as usual. He had to admit, sometimes he was envious of Dean’s ease with women. Still, he wondered just how much satisfaction he would get feeling the warmth of a woman next to him at night, just to feel the emptiness the next day. It didn’t seem worth it to him.

“I asked if you wanted to hit the precinct first?”

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll do that first then go talk to some of the witnesses.” Dean turned back towards the window but the street was empty.


	2. Whose Case Is It Anyway?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kristin has a few run ins with the Winchesters while investigating a case. No one is exactly thrilled.

Kristin smoothed the wrinkles on her light gray blazer and fastened the last button as she climbed out of the car. Her hair was now twisted in a high ponytail that reached just between her shoulder blades. A laminated badge was clipped to the belt loop on her matching grey pants, with big black letters, PRESS and her photo.

She walked with confidence towards the small, blue two story house and knocked, patiently waiting for the owner. A petite woman in her 30s opened the door, eyeing Kristin curiously with her sparkling blue eyes. “Can I help you?”

“Hi, Mrs. Ferguson. My name is Veronica Taylor and I’m from the Baltimore Sun.” Kristin stuck her hand out politely, waiting for the woman to take it. She did, although her grip was weak and tentative. “I was hoping to speak to you about the most recent child abduction. I heard you were an eyewitness.”

The woman looked pained but nodded and opened the door so Kristin could step in. “I didn’t realize Baltimore had an interest in our little town,” she admitted, closing the door behind her.

“We’re always interested in bringing awareness to crimes such as these. You’d be surprised how many tips come in and volunteers speak up to help the families involved.” Kristin gave her a genuine smile and watched as Mrs. Ferguson rubbed the back of her neck. She ushered Kristin into the living room and sat down on the dark green sofa.

“I don’t know how much help I’ll be,” she sighed. “I wasn’t paying too close attention.” A sheen of tears had gathered in her eyes and Kristin sensed that she blamed herself for not reacting during the abduction.

“Mrs. Ferguson…”

“Amy, please.”

“Amy, can you tell me about the day in the playground?” Kristin poised her pen above her notepad, ready to take notes. She watched Amy swallow hard and take a deep breath.

“I was there with my daughter, Hannah. She’s four years old.” She nodded her head towards the ceiling. Hannah must have been taking a nap upstairs. “She was playing near the sandbox and I was talking to my husband on the phone. He’s been away on business for two weeks.” She paused, a flash of regret playing on her face. “I was distracted but I happened to glance up and saw a young boy at the edge of the property, just in front of the wooded area. A woman was crouched in front of him, whispering in his ear.”

“What did the woman look like?” Kristin unconsciously leaned forward.

“She was middle aged, but very attractive. Long, black curly hair and tan skin. She looked like she was Italian or Greek or something. She was wearing a white sundress too.” Amy shook her head. “I’d never seen her before, but the boy seemed to know her. He was combing his little fingers through her hair as she whispered, kind of like my daughter does when she cuddles close.”

“What happened next?” Kristin looked up after jotting down a few notes.

“I uh...I looked away to check on my daughter. I swear it only felt like a few seconds, but when I looked again the boy and the woman were gone.” Amy cleared her throat and uncrossed her legs. “I glanced around the playground but didn’t see them. I kind of brushed it off though so I could continue my conversation.”

“Mommy?” A small voice startled the both of them and Kristin turned to see a small girl in a pink nightgown standing in the archway. She held a stuffed, white kitten with a pink ribbon in the crook of her arm.

“Hannah, baby. What are you doing up?” Amy held out her arms, a silent coax for her daughter to come over. She shuffled over, wiping her eyes with her tiny hand and climbed into her mother’s lap.

“The whispers keep me up.” She rested her head against Amy’s chest and sighed tiredly.

“What whispers, honey?”

“Outside. She wants me to come play.” Both women stiffened at the confession and stared at each other. “Who is that, Mommy?” Hannah whispered.

“This uh...this is Veronica. She’s a reporter.” Amy was distractedly looking out the windows, hoping not to see the same face from the playground.

Kristin cleared her throat and moved a little closer to the edge of her seat, smiling at the girl. “I like your kitty, Hannah. They’re my favorite animal. What’s it’s name?”

“Ginger.” Hannah smiled and hugged the stuffed animal closer to her body.

“I like that name.” Kristin shot a glance up at Amy and continued. “Does Ginger hear the whispers too?”

Hannah sighed and nodded. “She can’t sleep either.”

“When did you start hearing the whispers, Hannah?” Kristin made sure Amy wasn’t giving her a look to silence her inquiry. Amy herself seemed very interested in what the child had to say.

“Last night. After Mommy went to bed.” Amy covered her mouth as a gasp escaped her lips. Kristin put a hand instinctively on her knee and patted it softly.

“You said she wants you to come play. What else does she say?”

“She says she wants to be my Mommy, but I have a Mommy already.” Hannah reached up and stroked her mother’s hair affectionately and Amy hugged her close.

“That’s right, you have a wonderful Mommy,” Kristin smiled. “So next time you hear those whispers, just tell her to go away and find your Mommy. Hug her close ok?”

Hannah nodded and started to give in to the sleep that plagued her, snuggling closer. Amy looked up at Kristin, a look of panic on her face. “Do you think it’s her?”

“To be safe, I would make sure all of the doors and windows are locked. When is your husband due back?” Kristin whispered so as to not disturb the sleeping child.

“Saturday,” Amy sighed with defeat. It was Tuesday.

“Is there anyone else you can stay with? A friend or relative?”

“I have a sister in Lancaster.”

“Give her a call, see if you can stay with her until your husband is back in town. I’m actually on my way to the police station after this to get a statement from the Captain.” Kristin stood, tucking her pen back into the spiral ring of the notebook. “I can alert them about this, maybe get a squad car out here to be on the look out.” She was lying. The only look out would be her, this evening after Amy and Hannah were out of dodge. She was hoping to catch a glimpse of who or whatever this was trying to lure Hannah out of her bedroom.

Amy nodded and stood, hoisting Hannah up so the child could wrap her legs around her waist. “Thank you.” 

“One last question and it may seem odd.” Kristin bit her bottom lip. “Do you have a lot of snakes in the area?”

****

Dean and Sam were just exiting the precinct as Kristin pulled into a parking spot across the street. Again she pulled on her blazer but traded in the laminate for an FBI badge that she tucked into her pocket. She adjusted her sunglasses as she looked both ways before crossing the street. She could hear a hushed conversation coming from two professionally dressed men as they neared her, but when she glanced up a flutter of recognition stirred in her stomach.

The same two men from the restaurant were a few feet from her and she briefly wondered if coincidences like this happened often to her. Most of the time, in this line of business nothing was coincidence and that made her wary. Just as the taller of the two happened to catch her eye, she ducked her head and purposefully made a beeline for the door.

Sam blinked and turned to watch her walk in, his brow furrowed. Although he hadn’t been the one watching her every move earlier in the restaurant, he recognized her body type and stride.

“What is it?” Dean asked, noticing his brother’s attention was elsewhere.

“Isn’t that the woman from the restaurant?” Sam thrust a thumb in her direction, just in time for Dean to catch a quick glimpse before she disappeared into the building. He turned and squinted at the rows of parked cars and spotted the Mustang almost immediately.

“Must be. That’s her car over there.” They both eyed the car curiously before hopping into the Impala. “How’d you recognize her?”

Sam shifted in his seat and gave a noncommittal shrug. He didn’t want to admit that the shape of her body in the form fitting outfit and slight sway of her hips gave her away. “Her hair. I remember the color.”

Dean smirked at the feeble attempt. “Uh huh. Her hair has a nice _bounce_ to it right?”

Sam glared over at his brother. “I was thinking it was odd that someone, most likely some kind of law enforcement, was driving a car like _that_.” He nodded towards the Mustang.

Dean shrugged. “So? I drive this baby.”

“Exactly,” Sam said pointedly. “Not really law enforcement.” 

Dean seemed to think about it for a moment then roared the engine to life. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

****

“How many of you are there?” The deputy behind the desk looked up at Kristin, confusion on his face. 

“Excuse me?” Kristin furrowed her brow and snapped her badge closed.

“Well your two FBI buddies, Agents Hetfield and Ulrich just left a minute ago.”

“Hetfield and...Ulrich? Seriously?” She arched a brow and nearly scoffed at the blatant farce. Something tugged at her brain. “Tall guy, blue suit with longer brown hair? Looks like a giant?”

“Yeah and his partner had a black suit, shorter hair. Kind of cocky.”

“Of course.” Kristin pursed her lips together, unsure of what to say next. She couldn’t very well continue on without raising suspicion. “Damn rookies, always trying to oneup me,” she said with a hint of a smirk. “Sorry to waste your time. I’ll sort this out back at headquarters.”

Before the deputy could say another word, Kristin turned and burst through the front doors searching frantically for the two imposters. The rumble of the Impala startled her and she caught a glimpse of the two inside, but they were already pulling away down the street. “Son of a bitch,” she mumbled. She thought twice about taking off after them, but decided against it to avoid detection. Besides, she had a feeling she would be seeing them again soon.

****

“This is the woman that saw the last abduction?” Dean peered out the window, watching the young mother pile a few suitcases into the car in the driveway. She seemed agitated, glancing nervously over her shoulder every few seconds.

“Yeah. Amy Ferguson.” Sam read from the notebook he used to scribble some notes on at the police station. “Says she saw a woman whispering to a young boy in the playground just before they both disappeared.”

“Alright, let’s see what else she has to say.” They both emerged from the car and approached the woman as her back was turned.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Ferguson?” Sam asked politely, wincing when she jumped a little. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to startle you.” 

“Agents Hetfield and Ulrich, FBI.” They both pulled out their badges at the same time and quickly snapped them shut, a routine they knew all too well. Amy put a hand to her chest as if relieved, but also wrinkled her brow in confusion.

“That was fast. I didn’t realize she would send federal agents instead of the police though.”

“She?” Dean asked quizzically, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black dress pants.

“Yes, Veronica Taylor. That reporter from Baltimore. She was just here about a half an hour ago.” Amy turned back towards the car when she heard Hannah whine for a snack. “She said you guys would patrol my house while I’m gone.”

Sam and Dean exchanged looks, thoroughly confused by the turn of events, but not wanting to let on that something was wrong. “Yes, we received a call from Captain Morris about the situation, but we didn’t get a chance to speak with Ms. Taylor directly.” Dean cleared his throat and continued. “Would you mind telling us what happened for the record?”

Amy went through the whole story, from the woman she saw in the playground to the eerie revelation her daughter had when she awoke from her nap. Sam jotted down some notes as she spoke. “Veronica was the one who suggested I go stay with my sister. She said she was on her way to the police station anyway and would pass on my information.”

Sam and Dean seemed to have the same moment of clarity and exchanged hard looks. The woman from the restaurant, the one who whisked by them at the precinct, was no doubt the same woman calling herself Veronica and posing as a reporter.

“Thank you so much for your time Mrs. Ferguson. We’ll be back later on this evening to keep an eye on things.” Sam smiled and shook Amy’s hand, Dean following suit.

When they were far enough out of earshot, Dean leaned in. “Who is this chick?” Sam shrugged and leaned back against the Impala looking up at the house.

“Maybe she really is a reporter or maybe…”

“Another hunter.” Dean finished, a scowl on his face. “Well she damn sure isn’t stealing this case from us.”

“So we have the monopoly on saving people now?” Sam curled his lip into a smile. “Maybe she can help.”

“We don’t need any help, Sam. We’ve done just fine on our own.” Dean opened the door to the Impala and climbed in, not waiting for Sam to get in before turning the key over. Sam sighed and followed suit, glancing over at his brother. He opened his mouth to say something but then decided against it.

“So what now?”

“We change out of these monkey suits and come back later to scope the place out. Maybe whatever was whispering outside the kid’s window will come back to collect.” Dean threw the car into drive and sped off down the road towards the motel.

****

Kristin was just finishing the last bite of her pizza and slipping into a pair of jeans when the familiar growl of the Impala came within earshot. In two strides she was at the window, peeking through the curtain just enough to see the black beauty pull into the empty spot just a few doors down from her room. Her eyes narrowed as they emerged from the car, the shorter of the two scowling as his gaze fell upon her Mustang. He took a few steps towards her baby, the taller man on his heels.

“Shit,” she muttered, realizing he recognized the ride and had most likely started putting two and two together. She had a feeling their investigations would criss cross, especially after her rude awakening at the station this afternoon. She backed away from the window and grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair and shoved her laptop under the mattress.

She headed for the bathroom and wrestled with the small window, cursing as it groaned in protest. Just when it finally gave, a pounding on the door made her jump. “Hey, open the door!” a gruff voice rang out followed by another, calmer voice. “We just want to talk, Veronica, or whatever your real name is.”

Kristin smirked and pulled herself up and out the window, landing with a soft thud on the other side. She quickly closed the window behind her and skittered along the wall in a crouch. As she neared the end of the building she heard another, loud knock on her door followed by an obscenity from the shorter man. 

“Maybe she isn’t here, Dean,” she heard the other man say as she peered around the corner. The taller man was running his hand through his hair, obviously frustrated while Dean - she knew his name now - pulled out something from his pocket. Her mouth dropped open as he leaned over to pick the lock.

_That ballsy bastard_ , she thought to herself, suddenly feeling violated by the intrusion. Still, it would be a distraction while she attempted to make it to her car. He was quick to disengage the lock and pull his weapon, leaning in slightly before signaling to his partner that all seemed clear. His companion sighed, shook his head and followed Dean inside.

The second Sam’s head disappeared into the room, Kristin sprinted to the driver’s side of her Mustang, flung the door open, jumped in and turned the key over. The noise alerted her comrades but she threw the car into reverse and damn near pushed the pedal through the floor just in time to see Dean fling himself out of her room. She backed the car into the street and in a furious squeal of tires, turned in the direction towards town. Dean ran full speed but only managed to get about halfway before she peeled off, a very unladylike gesture thrown in his direction.

“Son of a bitch!” Dean yelled, stopping in his tracks. Sam was calmly walking over to him, his hands in his pockets.

“I think she likes you, Dean.” Sam smirked as Dean offered up the same gesture in his brother’s direction.


	3. Saddle Up, Cowboy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search for the missing children continues, but not before the Winchesters gets their asses saved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I realize that they covered Lamia in the show, but this is my version based on further research. Enjoy!

“What makes you think she’s gonna show?” Sam looked over at Dean whose eyes were fixated on the darkened house, watching for even the slightest movement. They had been parked outside Amy’s home for two hours now with no sign of the Mustang or the woman who owned it.

“Because it’s what we would do,” Dean answered confidently, not breaking his gaze. He didn’t quite understand why solving this case was so important to him. He had worked with other hunters in the past to close a case, but ever since his impending trip to the pit was booked he felt as though he needed to wrack up as many “wins” as possible. As if the more people he saved, the better he felt about leaving the earth.

Sam stretched as much as possible in the small space and reached for a bottle of water. In mid gulp Dean swatted his shoulder and nodded towards the house. “Bingo.” 

Sam squinted into the darkness but stiffened as a shadow emerged from the hedges and slinked into the backyard. He noticed a flutter of a white dress and his pulse quickened. They both exited the car, being careful not to slam the doors and alert their guest. Guns drawn, they made their way into the front lawn and Dean signaled for Sam to go around the right side of the house while he went the opposite direction. There was a slight breeze blowing through and Dean could have sworn he heard the soft hissing of a snake as he neared the far left corner of the house. He peered around just enough to catch a glimpse of a woman’s figure standing below what he assumed was Hannah’s window. She was staring up at the house, unmoving, as if waiting for some sign of life from the window above.

Dean caught Sam’s eye from across the lawn as he finally appeared and nodded. In a split second, before they could react a hiss rang out and the woman grabbed onto the siding and pulled upward. Their eyes widened as her legs transformed into a sleek, black snake’s tail and she began to slowly slither up the side of the house. Dean couldn’t help the thought of ‘snakes, why’d it have to be snakes’ cross his mind at that moment. He shook his head and stepped out into full view, aiming at the creature he’d never seen before.

“Hey! Gorgeous!” The creature whipped her head towards Dean and hissed angrily, her eyes glowing yellow in the darkness. With a quickness she turned and began to descend but a shot rang out as Sam put a bullet through her chest. She made a sickening sound and fell the rest of the way to the ground, writhing in pain. “Ha! Nice shot, Sammy.”

Before either one of them could come any closer, the creature shot upright on the tip of her tail spitting violently. The bullet seemed to have only stunned her for the moment. She turned her attention to Sam, ready to lash out in revenge. 

“Oh shit,” Sam mumbled before firing off another round which hit her arm this time and did absolutely nothing to slow her down. Before he knew what was happening, a quick whip of her tail sent him flying across the yard and into a tree. He hit with a loud thud and cried out in pain, sliding to the ground with ease. He blinked rapidly as stars appeared all around him, but couldn’t get to his feet immediately. He faintly heard Dean yell his name followed by rapid fire.

Dean started to empty his clip into the creature, knowing it wouldn’t do much damage but successfully taking her attention away from his brother. “Come on, you bitch!” he yelled as he backed away.

She smiled at him, slinking closer on her snake belly, clawing at the ground with her human hands. The hiss coming from her mouth was louder now as she lunged for Dean. She pinned him easily despite his best efforts to fight her off. A disgusting, split tongue emerged from her lips and she licked the side of his face as if tasting her dinner first. He closed his eyes as she drew her hand back, waiting for the fatal blow.

Instead, he felt her stiffen and the sound of a blade cutting through flesh caused him to snap his eyes open. He saw her head, wide eyed flung from her shoulders spewing blood in all directions. He instinctively covered his face to avoid the shower and felt her body slump against him. With a grunt of disgust, he pushed the lifeless serpent to the side and stared up at the brunette woman yielding a large machete.

“You.” 

“Me,” she said simply, wiping a few drops of blood from the side of her face.

“What are you doing here?” Dean stood, grabbing his gun that had landed a few feet from him. He tucked it into the pocket of his jacket after engaging the safety.

“Saving your ass, cowboy.” She turned on her heel, not waiting for a rebuttal and made her way over towards Sam who was now sitting up, holding the back of his head. “You ok?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Sam winced, looking up at her with thanks in his eyes as she held out a hand to him.

“I got him.” Dean nudged past her and pulled Sam to his feet, putting a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Kristin rolled her eyes and held up her hands in defeat, knowing it would be pointless to offer any further assistance.

“Whatever,” she mumbled, pulling an old dirty cloth from her pocket to wipe her blade clean. “You should take him back to the motel. I’ll take care of the clean up.”

“No, we can help,” Sam offered. He ignored his brother’s look of disdain. “It’s the least we could do.”

“Thanks, but I’m used to working alone.” She was already half way back towards the decapitated corpse before Sam could open his mouth again. She crouched down to examine the body closer, wanting to make absolutely sure there was no more movement. She jumped slightly when the head landed next to her foot and she looked up to see Dean towering over her.

“Like he said, it’s the least we can do.” Their eyes met for fraction of a second before Dean cleared his throat and headed towards the front of the house.

“We’ve got a tarp in the car,” Sam offered up, coming to stand beside her. His head still ached like a mother, but his vision had finally cleared. “I’m Sam.”

She seemed to think about it for a second, her brow wrinkled before answering. “Kristin.”

“That’s my brother-”

“Dean, I know.” She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I caught his name while you were breaking into my room earlier.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Sam shoved his hands into his pockets, a sheepish look on his face. “Dean can be…”

“Paranoid, rude, ungrateful?” Kristin threw a sideways glance at him, cracking a smile when he chuckled.

“Stubborn, mostly.” Kristin gave him a ‘no shit’ kind of look and deposited her hands into her back jeans pockets. “We’re both glad you were here to save our asses. Even if he won’t admit it.”

Kristin shrugged. “Yeah well, you two were kinda clueless showing up with guns to a knife fight.”

“How did you know beheading would work?”

“Research. I think I had a one up on you with the whole snake skin thing.”

“What snake skin thing?” Dean had returned with a large blue tarp tucked under his arm.

“When I was at the playground earlier I found a recently shed snake skin near the woods.” She signaled with her fingers for Dean to start unwrapping the tarp as she spoke. “I asked Amy if this area had a lot of snakes and she told me no.”

“So you searched for snake people?” Dean asked, grabbing one end of the corpse while Kristin and Sam took places on the opposite sides. With a grunt they all picked up the body and tossed it into the center of the tarp. Sam picked up the head and threw it on top with a look of disgust.

“No, I searched for mythical Greek or Roman creatures with both feminine and snake like qualities. Amy said the woman at the playground looked Italian or Greek.” Kristin wiped her hands on her jeans and set about wrapping the body with Dean. “Then I narrowed the search to include any kind of creature that preyed on children.”

“The whispering, the luring away, saying she wanted to be their Mommy,” Sam chimed in.

“Yep. Lamia.”

“Lamia? What the hell is that?” Dean asked, standing up to stretch.

“Lamia was a child eating demon from Greek mythology. There are two versions of the story. One is that Lamia was a mistress to Zeus and his jealous wife, Hera killed all of Lamia’s children and turned her into a monster, cursed to devour other’s children.”

“And the other?” Sam questioned, impressed with her knowledge of the subject.

“Hera simply stole all of Lamia’s children and she was so grief stricken that she started stealing and devouring children out of envy, which is what transformed her into the slithering monster you see here.”

“Are you saying that all of the kidnapped children are dead?” Dean pursed his lips together, rage seething in his eyes. Of all the monstrosities in the world, innocent children paying the price was the worst for him.

Kristin sighed, avoiding his gaze and nodded her head sadly. “Most likely.”

“Most likely isn’t an option. If there’s a chance some of these kids are still alive, we need to find them.” Dean hadn’t meant for his voice to sound so icy, but time was of the essence.

“Any ideas where she may have stashed them?” Sam asked quickly, seeing Kristin’s eyes narrow and fists clench. 

“Well since I did have a few hours to kill after you chased me off,” her eyes flickered angrily at Dean before she continued, “I rode around looking for any places that may have fit.”

“Dean…” Sam warned as he saw his brother grow impatient. The look Sam fixed him with froze him in place, mouth shut. “What did you find?”

“Nothing that the police hadn’t already searched - abandoned buildings, old train cars and such. Then I thought, if I was a creepy crawly where would I go?” She pointed down with both index fingers. “Underground.”

“Sewers?” Sam asked, wrinkling his nose. 

“It’s the only place they haven’t searched and it seems pretty damn convenient when you need to disappear fast.”

“Ok, let’s start there then.” Dean signaled for Sam to help pick up the body. “We’ll get rid of this bitch first.”

“You boys do that and I’ll get started.”

“No, dammit, will you just wait for us?” Dean growled in frustration, standing back up. 

“Why?” Kristin scoffed, picking up her machete that had been lying at her feet. 

“Suppose there’s something else down there.”

“I think I can take care of myself.” She waved her hand over her recent kill, a cockiness in her voice that mirrored Dean’s.

“I’m sure you can, Kristin.” Sam stepped in between the two, sensing a heated argument brewing and he just wasn’t in the mood for two stubborn asses at the moment. “We just want be prepared for anything. Please. We want to find these kids too.”

The softness of his voice tugged at her and for a moment she felt that all too familiar feeling in her stomach. It was a nagging need to trust people that she kept in check, especially after the long road she’d been on. She sucked in her bottom lip and chewed on it idly, glancing between the two brothers. “Fine,” she finally relented with an agitated sigh.

“Dean and I will go take care of this.” He nodded towards the body. “Meet us back at the motel and we’ll all go together. Maybe you could look up some of the sewage plans on your laptop? Give us a good starting point.”

Kristin simply nodded and turned to make her way towards the adjoining backyard, back towards her car which was parked a couple blocks away. Her blood boiled at the thought of Dean, the ungrateful little shit. Not only had he interfered in her case, which she had managed to solve all on her own, but he didn’t even have the decency to thank her for saving his life. It was a good thing his polar opposite, Sam was there to temporarily smooth things over. Hard to believe they were brothers and had to stand every waking moment with each other. It reminded her of a time when she had a partner...no! She shook the thought from her head, refusing to go to that place buried deep in her mind.

****

“You could be a little nicer to her, you know?” Sam paused and looked over at Dean as he turned back onto the main road, the body properly discarded. “She did kill that thing.”

Dean rolled his eyes, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “If I apologize to her will you stop nagging me?”

“Only if you mean it,” Sam replied simply. “I don’t understand why you’re being such an ass anyway. Hours ago you were ready to hit on her...now you just want to hit her?”

“I don’t want to hit her,” Dean argued, shaking his head. “Just drop it, Sam. I said I’ll take care of it.” He had to admit that he was being particularly short with her, but his pride had been hurt. Pride was just about all he had left besides the job itself and she had tainted both for the evening.

Both brothers were silent for the remainder of the ride back to the motel, each thinking about the pistol of a woman they were about to team up with. Sam was relieved when he saw her Mustang parked where it should have been. He was glad she had decided to wait for them, avoiding another clash of the titans between her and Dean. They pulled in next to her and got out, Dean lingering for a moment to actually appreciate the classic muscle while Sam knocked on her door.

Kristin opened the door, a small smirk on her face. “Thanks for knocking this time.”

Sam chuckled and stepped in as she opened the door wider. She glanced over at Dean who was still mesmerized by the gray beauty and crossed her arms, leaning against the doorway.

“She’s beautiful.” Dean ran a hand over the hood, peeking up at Kristin with a soft smile. She blinked, visibly taken aback by the compliment.

“Yes, she is.” She nodded towards the Impala. “Likewise.” 

Dean smiled and came to stand in front of her, hands shoved in his pockets. “Look, I uh…” She remained in her spot, raising a brow at him as if she wasn’t quite sure what to expect. “Sorry for being a first class douche.”

“An apology. Wow.” Kristin nodded approvingly, bottom lip puckered out. “I get the feeling this is a rare occurrence for you.” Her face remained blank to her best ability, but she could feel the ice melting inside at the sincerity behind his voice.

“You gonna bust my balls all night or forgive me?” 

“We’re good for now.” Kristin smirked and quickly turned on her heel to head into the room where Sam had already taken a seat at the table. She figured she might as well take it for what it was and drop it. Dean followed close behind, shutting the door and locking it out of habit.

Kristin sat down in front of her laptop, pulling up a few documents while Dean wandered around the room, subtly peeking into her open duffle bag and taking inventory of the items on the bedside table. 

“Hey, nosey.” Her voice startled him and he peered up at both Kristin and Sam, eyeballing him suspiciously. “Park it.” She patted the chair next to her and he cleared his throat, clearly caught, before settling down in the seat.

“What did you find?” Sam asked, leaning in close to examine a sketch of underground tunnels, twists and turns.

“Well, it’s an older map of the sewer system, but I think it will get the job done.” Kristin pointed at a particularly large area that was connected by several small tunnels. “Maybe we should start here?”

“It does look like a good spot for a Lamia to bogart a bunch of kids.” Dean scanned over the image looking for anything that caught his eye, although this wasn’t really his realm of expertise. “Where’s the closest entrance?”

“About two blocks from the playground,” Kristin smiled, feeling confident that it wasn’t a coincidence. “Manhole just behind an old antique store that closed down about three months ago.”

“Right around the time children started to go missing,” Sam added. “The cops really didn’t think of this?”

Kristin shrugged and shook her head. “Small town, low crime rate. Not a whole lot of field experience, I guess.” She stood, grabbing the jacket from the back of her chair. “Me, I grew up just outside of Baltimore.”

“Ah, a woman with experience.” Dean grinned, raising his eyebrows at Sam who in turn rolled his eyes at the ever present tone in his brother’s voice. The double entendre was not lost on Kristin but she just shook her head and shut the laptop.

“There’s always one,” she mumbled, looking up at Dean who was still grinning, very amused with himself. “Let’s go before I change my mind.”

They all piled into the Impala and took off towards town, Sam riding shotgun while Kristin settled into the backseat. The night was clear with a light breeze so Dean had all of the windows cracked while Black Sabbath played quietly on the radio. He watched Kristin from the rearview mirror as she unconsciously bobbed her head to the music.

“So,” Sam was the first to break the silence, “how long have you been doing this?”

“Since I was thirteen.” Her voice was soft and she didn’t deter her gaze from the window.

“You have hunters in the family?” Dean asked, watching her closely from the mirror. He saw her visibly tense and pull her arms around her frame.

“No.”

“Sorry, touchy subject?” Sam asked, sensing her mood from the short answers she gave.

“You could say that.”

“Well, Sam and I have been in the business since he was crapping in a diaper.” He chuckled when Sam gave him a ‘dude, really?’ type look. 

“That’s terrible,” Kristin replied, looking between the two with a frown on her face.

“Not really. Our dad made sure we knew how to take care of ourselves.” Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat at the thought of their dad; gone and unable to teach them anything else. “Hell, I was burning corpses by the time I was seven.”

“I just…” Kristin seemed to be searching for the right words to convey her feelings without hitting a sore spot. “It’s sad that you didn’t get to have a normal childhood.”

“Tell me about it,” Sam mumbled, turning his attention towards the window. Dean shot a heated look over at his brother, not wanting to get into this argument again.

“He did what he had to do.” Dean cleared his throat and turned the inquiry back over to Kristin. “It wasn’t all ponies, sleepovers and cookouts like I’m sure you had, but it was still a good time. To me, at least.”

Kristin scoffed and leaned back again, crossing her arms over her chest. “Ponies and sleepovers. Right.” She fixed him with an ice cold look before resuming her glare out the back window.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to assume.” Dean sighed in defeat, unsure of how to turn the conversation friendly. Their personalities seemed a little too lethal against each other and he hoped that they found these kids fast so they could go their separate ways. He wasn’t used to such a combative female; usually they turned to mush from the moment he opened his mouth. 

“Look,” Kristin growled in frustration, although it was more at herself. “I just don’t talk about certain things with...strangers. I’m not trying to be a bitch.”

“It’s ok, we’re not prying,” Sam offered up, turning halfway in his seat to look at her. “Just wanted to make conversation.”

Kristin huffed out a long breath and loosened the grip she had on her arms. She let her arms fall to her side and lightly stroked the interior appreciatively. He watched as her eyes worked side to side, seemingly thinking of what to say next. It seemed like an eternity of silence before she opened her mouth again.

“I like watching I Love Lucy reruns on my laptop.” She gave a lopsided grin. “Helps me sleep at night, especially after a hunt.”

Sam laughed wholeheartedly and it was a beautiful sound. “I always loved the episodes when they’re in Europe. The vineyard one is classic.”

“No way, the California ones were the best. Lucy always trying to have a celebrity sighting.” Kristin leaned forward, engaging with Sam and momentarily forgetting about the daunting task ahead of them. “I think the one with John Wayne had me laughing the entire time.”

“Sounds like you girls have something in common,” Dean kidded. He didn’t have time to recoil from the smack in the arm he received from the backseat.

“Don’t tell me you don’t like Lucy.”

“Never really watched it,” Dean confessed with a shrug.

“What?!” Kristin gawked at him wide eyed. “You are American right?”

“Dean’s more of a porn connoisseur than a classic lover.” Sam grinned at Kristin who rolled her eyes at the comment.

“Hey, Linda Lovelace was a classic,” Dean defended with a smirk. Kristin leaned back in her seat with a huff. She shook her head but couldn’t hide the amused smile on her face. 

She found it fascinating how different the brothers seemed, at least thus far. She had to admit that each had a little something she was drawn to, but didn’t dare humor the thought that she could actually get close to them; friendly or otherwise. In her experience, no relationship was safe and even though they were hunters themselves, she intended to keep them out of her twisted web.

The conversation was light as they drove towards their destination, but soon faltered as they pulled up behind the empty storefront. It was eerily quiet, not even the nightly sound of insects and singing frogs could be detected as they emerged from the car and headed towards the trunk.

Kristin emitted a low whistle as Dean opened the trunk, fishing around for a select arsenal that would come in handy down in the catacombs beneath the town. Kristin declined with the shake of her head and a pat to the pocket of her jacket where her trusty gun was ever present. The guys each armed themselves with a pistol, while Sam grabbed a machete and Dean snagged a crowbar before shutting and locking the trunk.

They made their way towards the alley behind the building and found the manhole cover easily. Dean crouched down and slipped the end of the crowbar into one of the holes and pushed hard, grunting loudly as the manhole moved just enough for Sam to slip his fingers underneath. With his foot now holding down the crowbar, Dean assisted Sam with sliding the heavy object to the side with a loud thud.

Kristin grabbed a small flashlight from her pocket and shone the light down into the dark opening. The light reached the bottom, just barely but she didn’t see anything waiting to bite their toes off as they descended.

“Let me go first,” Dean offered, holding out his hand for the flashlight. Kristin smirked, but decided to curb her argumentative nature and handed the light to him.

“Who says chivalry is dead?” She backed up and watched as Dean tucked the pistol into his jeans, handing the crowbar over to Sam. He hid the crowbar behind a stack of old crates, intending to get it later.

Dean sat down on the edge of the opening, feeling around for the ladder. Once his foot connected, he glanced up at them and nodded. He placed the flashlight into his mouth to free his hands and started his descent, glancing around every so often to make sure nothing was moving below him.

Both Sam and Kristin crouched at the opening, ready to pull their guns at the first sign of trouble. Once Dean reached the bottom and scanned the area briefly, he shone the light up towards them and flashed it twice.

“Ok, your turn.” Sam turned towards Kristin and lightly placed his hand on the small of her back. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Kristin nodded and shuddered slightly at the feel of his hand. It was an innocent touch, but for some reason it made her nervous. She really needed to get a grip on herself and try not to let past experiences dictate her current interactions. She followed Dean’s movements and waited until her foot connected with the first rung of the ladder before descending. Dean held the light up so she could see what she was doing and before long her feet connected with the floor.

While Sam made his way down, she glanced around at the dark, grimey accommodations. The ground was slick with recent water flow, the walls glistened with moisture and decay, and the smell made her nose wrinkle. She shuddered to think how terrified those poor children must have been, but hoped some of them had held on long enough to be rescued. Although, she knew their little minds would be plagued with nightmares for years to come.

“This way?” Dean said softly, shining the light in front of where Kristin’s gaze was currently locked. She nodded and allowed Dean to take the lead once again. She got the impression that it made him feel better to be the one in charge, which consequently also made him the first target. 

They all drew their guns as they made their way down the first tunnel, each trained eye ready for any movement from within the surrounding darkness. They also listened carefully beyond the sound of running water and occasional rat squeak. Kristin could swear she also heard her own heart beating loudly in her ears. She was preparing herself mentally for the worst case scenario but still felt her body reacting prematurely.

After thirty minutes of twists, turns and coming up empty handed, a low cry in the distance stopped them dead in their tracks. They all held their breath as they listened closely, unsure if it was actually real or a trick of their frustrated minds. Seconds later, another more distinct whine floated from the right side where another tunnel branched off. It definitely sounded meek, like that of a child who was desperate for something just out of reach.

Fighting the urge to run full speed towards the sound and potentially make their presence known, Dean switched off the flashlight and allowed their eyes to adjust to the darkness before breaking off with Dean and Kristin trudging against the right wall and Sam on the left. They hurried, careful to avoid splashing the water under their feet and made their way towards the growing intensity of the cries.

They reached an opening and paused, backs against the wall and listened once more. Several tiny coughs, whimpers and sniffles echoed inside the nook and Sam slowly peered around the corner into the room. He could make out several objects that looked like oversized dog crates, with tiny forms crouched inside; the children no doubt. There was also a table in the middle of the room with various tools and objects he couldn’t make out, but what he didn’t see was a threat to their rescue mission.

“We’re good,” he whispered to Dean, who nodded and turned on the flashlight again. He entered first, shining the light on the first cage he came to and assessed the lock on the door. It was an older padlock and could be easily broken with a single shot from his pistol.

“It’s ok, we’re here to get you out of here,” Dean assured the frightened faces inside. They all cowered in the back of the cage, unsure of the man standing in front of them. Kristin and Sam also stood in front of the other two cages, softly trying to calm down a few of the smaller children who had started to cry.

“Shh, baby, it’s ok,” Kristin said soothingly to one little boy who looked to be no older than three. “We’re going to get you home to your mommy and daddy, but you have to be brave, ok?”

“We need to blow these locks,” Dean called out. They both nodded and turned towards their respective audiences and gestured with their hands to cover their ears.

“There’s going to be a loud noise, so cover your ears,” Sam stated to everyone in the room. All three drew their guns and waited until every little ear was covered and even some had turned away in anticipation.

“One...two…” Dean counted down. “Three!” The simultaneous pop sent the rusted metal exploding into several pieces and elicited a few screams from the already panicked prisoners.

They all set to work coaxing each of the children out while taking a tally in order to figure out how many survivors there were from the original fifteen kidnapped. It broke Kristin’s heart seeing the tear streaked faces and fear ridden eyes, but one blonde eight year old girl caught her eye and a river of tragic memories flooded her consciousness.

She gripped the young girl’s shoulders and felt her bottom lip quiver slightly as she looked into her frightened, blue eyes. “Are you hurt?” she asked softly and the girl shook her head slowly. “Good.” Kristin forced a smile and placed a loose strand of blonde hair behind the girl’s ear. She paused again, her vision blurring as tears threatened to fall from her own eyes.

“Kristin?” Sam’s voice startled her and she swiped her hand across her eyes, realizing that he was standing right behind her. “You ok?”

“I’m fine.” She stood and ushered the girl into the group. “I counted five over here.”

Sam regarded her for several seconds before nodding towards Dean. “We counted seven between the two of us.”

“So three kids are…” Kristin couldn’t even bear to finish the question. Sam frowned and lowered his head, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. She backed away from his touch and he quickly gave her a look of apology.

“We need to go.” Dean’s voice sounded strained, his own grief evident. He picked up a little boy who was reaching up eagerly, wanting to be held and innocently trusting the man who had just broken him out of his cage. “Everyone stay close, ok?”

Dean lead the way, as usual, with half of the brood following close behind while Kristin placed herself in the middle of the pack and Sam brought up the rear. They trudged through the damp tunnels, stopping only to pick up the smaller children who started to lag behind. They guessed that they hadn’t been properly nourished and their energy level wasn’t as it should be. The journey seemed endless, but they finally reached the manhole, the moon beaming down into the opening.

Kristin made herself scarce after everyone was safely above ground while Sam and Dean contacted the local authorities. It was going to be hard enough explaining how they found the children without raising questions about her own involvement. She decided to walk towards the town bar, needing the cool night air to clear her mind and a drink to cloud over it once again.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the little blonde girl and how much she looked like Erin. The innocence mixed with a terrified knowledge that monsters truly did exist. She tried not to think about that version of Erin, or even too much of her at all because it always brought her to a dark place. She shook her head violently once more, trying to empty the memories before fresh, hot tears could spill over. She knew if she kept Erin on her mind while she drank, she just might accidentally spill the beans to the Winchesters about everything; something she wasn’t ready for.

****

Almost two hours passed before Sam and Dean trudged into the bar, looking very exhausted. Kristin had grabbed a booth in the back of the establishment and was leaning back in her seat, eyes slightly hooded. She had a half empty glass of Bulleit cradled loosely in her hand on top of the table, but it certainly wasn’t her first helping.

Dean stopped at the bar to order drinks while Sam made his way over to the table. Kristin gave a half smile as he slid into the seat opposite from her but didn’t say a word. There wasn’t much to say about the situation; it was great to save the day, but still stung like hell that three children paid the ultimate price.

Dean plopped down next to Sam and handed him a bottle of Blue Moon, a sure sign that he would be doing the driving later while Dean sloshed around a glass of Crown Royal. He looked grim, more so than Sam. What a barrel of fun they must have looked like to outsiders.

“How much catching up do I have to do?” Dean asked, nodding towards Kristin’s drink as she took another sip. She let out a chuckle and raised her glass to both of them.

“Saddle up, cowboy.”


	4. Dark Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kristin's backstory comes to light

“So what’s with the black cat?” Dean asked, pointing at the tattoo on Kristin’s left wrist. It was the first time since they met that he actually had a peaceful moment to really take in her appearance. She gave a shrug and lifted the glass of bourbon to her lips.

“I like pussy,” she stated matter-of-factly. She tried to keep her face expressionless as Dean choked on his own drink and Sam had to smack him in the back a few times.

“Seriously?” he asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. 

“No.” Kristin scoffed and gave them both a big, drunken grin. “I just have a thing for cats.”

“You could give him a heart attack you know?” Sam laughed at the disappointed look on Dean’s face. He had long since stopped drinking but was enjoying the banter between the two as long as it meant they were in better moods. Their celebration-pity party had turned friendly about an hour ago.

“So that means I have a shot then?” Dean leaned in and flashed his best seductive smile in Kristin’s direction, although in his current state it wasn’t as slick as he intended it to be. Kristin winked and leaned in as well until their faces were practically inches apart. 

“Not a chance.” She leaned back in her seat and Sam had to bite back a chuckle. It was rare that his brother struck out, but he always got a small sense of satisfaction out of it.

“Why not?” Dean pouted and downed the rest of his drink. “Too much to handle, right?”

Kristin laughed at his blatant arrogance, but was not put off. She looked at Sam with her mouth hanging open, shaking her head as if to say ‘can you believe this guy?’ He shrugged emphatically and rolled his eyes, the grin still not leaving his face.

“First things first, Dean. I’m not just another barfly bimbo that you can sweet talk into your bed. Second, there are few things in life I can’t handle.” She paused to gulp the last of her final drink for the evening before staring him straight in the eye. “Lastly, being drunk is a perfectly good waste of a decent fuck.”

Both men fell silent and watched as she slid out from the booth and paused to ensure she could stand on both feet. “Excuse me while I visit the ladies room.” They both watched her walk confidently away until she was out of earshot.

“Dude.” Sam gave Dean one good slap on the back and smirked. “Burned.”

“Shut up,” Dean mumbled, glancing around the room. “I got plenty of other contestants.”

His eyes fell on one particularly busty blonde leaning against the bar talking to her small group of friends, trying to hide her interest in him as she threw frequent glances in his direction. It was clear from the look on Dean’s face that she would be the winner as he scooted out from the booth and made his way over to her.

Sam watched with a grimace at the drunken body language being exchanged between the two, but knew there was nothing he could say to deter his brother’s mission. He figured, if it made him happy for the moment then he wasn’t going to stand in his way. Although he didn’t approve of Dean’s lack of care at his current situation, he was still unsure of how to get through to him. He was going to Hell once his year was up and he didn’t seem to care at all. It was all booze, sex, and hunts with no consequences. Sometimes he wondered if Dean would have been just as happy to die of any one of those things before the Hellhounds had a chance.

“Oh good Lord.” The sound of Kristin’s voice broke Sam out of his reverie and he followed her gaze towards the bar where Dean was currently whispering something into the blonde’s ear that she found very amusing. “He doesn’t give up, does he?”

“No, he doesn’t,” Sam replied with a sigh. “That’s Dean though.”

Kristin sat back down across from Sam and laid her head to the side in one hand, regarding him carefully. 

“What’s your story, Sam?” When he looked at her with a confused face she continued. “How come you’re not out there chasing tail?”

Sam laughed softly and clasped his hands together in front of him, staring at his entwined fingers. “Not really my style.”

“As in you don’t like one night stands or you don’t have any game?” She raised a playful eyebrow at him and smiled, not really meaning to pick on him.

“Neither, actually.”

“I didn’t mean to tease. My tongue gets a little loose after a few.” She reached out and patted his hands. 

“I like your tongue just fine,” Sam said in a low tone, setting her with a smoldering stare. Kristin blinked and nervously cleared her throat, clearly taken aback by the comment. She slowly slid her hand back from his and rubbed the side of her neck which suddenly felt sweaty. Before another word could be uttered, Sam’s face faltered and he laughed hard. “See, I got game.”

Kristin quickly recovered and reached across the booth to smack him in the shoulder. She started to laugh at how easy she was fooled, but was glad for the humor. She hadn’t laughed so openly in months and even if it was the alcohol lowering her inhibitions, she was grateful for the release.

“Real slick, Sam.” She leaned back and stretched her arms above her head. “Are you my designated driver or do we have to wait for Don Juan over there?”

They both looked over at Dean, who had managed to get the blonde to ditch the conversation with her friends and was running his hand up and down her arm. Kristin scrunched her nose, unsure of why it bothered her in the least to watch the scene unfold. 

“I’ll be right back,” Sam said miserably, not wanting to eavesdrop on whatever inappropriate thing he was sure Dean was saying at that very moment.

Kristin watched as Sam interrupted the flirtation, talking to Dean and motioning towards the table. Dean’s gaze flickered over at her for a brief second and she could swear he was giving her the stink eye, although she couldn’t decide if it was for the interruption or her earlier rejection. She turned her attention towards more important things such as digging around in her pocket for some cash. As she was fidgeting with the bills she felt Sam’s large presence descend over her.

“Looks like it’s just you and me.” He nodded towards his brother who was paying a tab, the blonde bouncing eagerly behind him in anticipation. “He’s going to hitch a ride with her back to the room.”

“Whose room?” Kristin asked as she stood, throwing a decent tip onto the table and slipping into her jacket.

“Ours.” The look of disgust on his face didn’t go unnoticed as he too slipped on his coat.

“And what are you supposed to do?”

Sam shrugged and motioned for Kristin to go ahead of him, resisting the urge to place his hand on the small of her back again. “What I usually do. Camp out in the Impala.”

“That’s ridiculous.” They made their way through the crowd and out the front door. The night air felt cool against Kristin’s face and she took a deep breath.

“What would you rather me do? Pull up a chair with a bowl of popcorn?” Sam joked as they walked to the Impala which was parked towards the rear of the parking lot.

“No,” she scoffed. “It’s just not fair that you get kicked out.”

“Doesn’t bother me.” Sam sighed as they reached the car and he stood for a moment with the key in his hand. “I kind of owe him anyway.”

“How so?” Kristin waited on the passenger side to be let in, clasping her hands together and laying them on the hood of the car. Just then a loud drunken female squeal floated within earshot and they saw Dean and his conquest making their way towards a car at the opposite end of the parking lot. Again, Kristin clenched her jaw at the ridiculous sight.

“He’s my big brother. He’s always taken care of me.” There was a sadness in Sam’s voice, but before Kristin could probe further he unlocked the car and hopped inside. He reached over and unlocked her door before bringing the Impala to life. She slipped in and leaned back into the seat with a content sigh as the fogginess in her mind settled.

She decided not to say another word as she could sense the hesitancy in his voice that she herself used all the time when it came to revealing intimate details of the past. Sam was struggling with some kind of guilt that stemmed from Dean watching over him. She could tell that they were close, despite their sometimes clashing personalities and whatever debt Sam felt he had to pay, she wasn’t going to question it.

The ride back to the motel was silent except for the soft music on the radio and Kristin took the opportunity to close her eyes and relax. All things considered, it hadn’t been a bad night teaming up with the Winchesters. It had a familiar feeling that comforted her, knowing she wasn’t alone in this fight against evil. She hoped to cross paths with them again in the future; maybe work another case together. However, all these thoughts could just be the ranting of an alcohol induced mind and she would flee as soon as the sun hit the horizon.

She felt the car come to a stop and the sound of the engine died, signaling the end of their ride. She opened her eyes reluctantly, groaning as the tacky neon lights flashed in her face. She turned her head to find Sam staring at her expectantly.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem.” He smiled that signature sweet and tortured smile of his that tugged at the heart strings. “Thanks for...everything.”

“You’re welcome.” Kristin paused, biting at her bottom lip. The angel and demon inside of her were currently having an argument about the importance of trust and companionship. History always seemed to repeat itself, but for tonight the battle of sanity was being lost. “Look, why don’t you come hang in my room?”

The look of shock on Sam’s face almost made her bolt from the car. Any hesitance on his part would be a perfect opportunity to come to her senses. “Come hang in your room?” he clarified suspiciously.

“Yeah. At least until the coast is clear.” 

As if on cue, a red Honda pulled in a few spaces down from them. Kristin almost laughed as the sound of Britney Spears came blaring from the open windows. They watched as Dean stumbled out, a brief look of uncertainty on his face at the choice he made. He quickly recovered when he saw the two of them watching him from the Impala. With a wink in Sam’s direction, he escorted the blonde to the door of their room and disappeared inside.

Sam weighed his options and finally gave Kristin a nod, unsure if he should even be wary of the implications. As if she could read his mind, she stuck a finger out at him.

“Just to be clear. This isn’t an invitation for any funny business.”

“Understood,” he replied, raising his hands in defense. He looked so sincere that she couldn’t even pretend to be suspicious of him. 

“Ok then. Lucy marathon?”

****

The ease of which Sam and Kristin settled into their evening together surprised the both of them. It was as if they had been long lost friends reunited for the first time and everything had been the same as when they had left off. Kristin had fired up the laptop and they sat side by side on the bed, leaning against the headboard watching episode after episode and laughing until their sides hurt. At one point they both forgot who they were and what they did for a living and just lost themselves in being content.

Kristin had eventually dozed off in the middle of an episode and Sam had carefully removed the laptop from her grip and powered it down. In her state of unconsciousness he helped ease her down until she was laying on her side, hugging one of the extra pillows. He then went to the window to see if the red Honda was in the parking lot. It was gone, but he still didn’t want to leave for some reason. After wrestling with himself for a while he decided to settle down next to Kristin, keeping the pillow in between them as a courtesy. Before long, he too slipped into a blissful slumber that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

****

The sensation Kristin was feeling was amazing and so wonderfully familiar as she closed her eyes in ecstasy. Her thighs were locked onto her lover as he bucked slowly beneath her. She could feel his strong hands gripping her hips and the roughness that came from years of working with his hands made an exquisite contrast against her smooth skin. He smelled like sweat and motor oil, an intoxicating scent that she came to love. She finally opened her eyes and looked down at him, smiling at the look of desire in his blue eyes.

“Jeremy,” she moaned softly, pressing her hands onto his chest. She felt his muscles tense under her palms, knowing he was getting close. She closed her eyes again, too overwhelmed with pleasure to keep her gaze locked and her composure intact.

Suddenly she felt a wetness trickling through her fingers. It was something thicker and warmer than sweat and she wrinkled her brow. Confused, she looked down at Jeremy once more and froze. His eyes were staring into her, unseeing and his mouth hung open in a silent scream. Fear and disgust gripped her abdomen as she realized his neck and torso were drenched in blood. She shakily removed her hands from his chest and watched as the crimson fluid ran down her arms. Her heart was beating fast and the ringing in her eyes nearly silenced the ear splitting scream that erupted from her throat.

Everything went dark as she continued to scream, tears flowing down her cheeks. At first she thought it was more blood and swiped viciously at her face trying to get it off. Beyond the ringing in her ears she could hear a male voice calling her name, but it was muffled and sounded so far away. Then, she felt two hands gripping her shoulders, shaking her hard. She fought against the assailant, flailing her fists in the air hoping to connect with any body part she could reach. It didn’t seem to work because all she felt was air and then two arms wrapping around her.

“Kristin, stop! You’re dreaming!” Sam pleaded loudly, tightening his grip on her. He had woken abruptly to the sound of her screaming and sitting straight up in bed. At first he thought she was being attacked by something, but quickly realized she was in the midst of a terrible nightmare. If there had been any other occupants of the motel they surely would have thought she was being murdered.

Kristin suddenly seemed to become aware of her surroundings and ceased her assault on him, crying loudly and trying desperately to catch her breath. When he felt her go limp he loosened his grip and turned her around so she was facing him. Recognition crossed her face as their eyes locked and she shamelessly buried her face into his chest and continued to sob.

“Shh, it’s ok. I’ve got you.” Sam caressed her hair softly, a worried expression on his face. This vulnerability she was showing seemed very out of character for her and he just knew this wasn’t an ordinary nightmare she had been experiencing.

A loud banging on the door made them both jump, but Sam knew who it was before any words were spoken. 

“Sam? What’s going on?!” It was Dean. Even in his post coitus hungover state he was on alert. 

“We’re fine, Dean. Hold on.” Sam pulled Kristin away from his body and looked down into her eyes which were still filled with tears. “I’m going to let him in, ok?”

At first she seemed to hesitate, clinging tighter to his shirt as if he would vanish the moment he stood up. Then she nodded and allowed him to untangle himself from her, dropping her face into her hands as if to hide the shame of her behavior.

Sam disengaged the lock and opened the door to find a half asleep and half dressed Dean on the other side. He had thrown on a pair of jeans and his green, long sleeved shirt which hung open. He had no shoes on but it didn’t seem to phase him. Sam signaled for him to lower his gun and leaned in close to whisper.

“She had a nightmare. I couldn’t calm her down.”

“Jesus, I thought…” his voice trailed off as he looked over at the shaking form on the bed. She looked so small at that moment, hunched over, raking her hands over her face trying to wash away the tears. It was all so wrong. “Is she ok?”

“I don’t know,” Sam answered with a shrug. “Hasn’t said anything yet.”

Dean came into the room so Sam could close and lock the door once more. He laid his gun down on the table and cautiously made his way over towards the bed, dragging one of the chairs behind him. He didn’t want to get too close as if he was afraid to spook her. Sam shuffled past him and sat down on the bed next to her, reaching out tentatively to caress her shoulder. This time she didn’t recoil from his touch.

“Kristin?” he asked softly. “Are you ok?”

She huffed out a long, staggered breath and let her hands fall into her lap. Her face was pink and slick from all the moisture but the waterworks had turned off. There was still a sheen in her tired, hazel eyes as she focused on Sam.

“Yeah. I’m sorry I woke you.” She sheepishly turned and locked eyes with Dean. “Both of you.” 

“I’m just glad you weren’t hurt,” Dean admitted. “You were screaming pretty loud.”

“I’m so embarrassed.” Kristin looked down at her hands, shaking her head. “They just keep getting worse.”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed. We all have nightmares.” Sam patted her knee, surprised at how accepting she seemed to be with his affection now that her senses were back.

“More like memories on steroids,” she responded helplessly. 

“You want to talk about it?” Dean asked. He too had been having some pretty frightening dreams, although he knew they would soon become reality. 

“No.”

“You can trust us, Kristin.” She looked up at Sam, feeling her walls crumbling. This particular dream had rocked her core and she desperately wanted to banish it from her mind. 

“It’s so fucked up.” She caressed her temples miserably with both hands.

“Fucked up is kind of our thing,” Dean admitted with a crooked smile. 

“Not many people know who I really am. I find that they’re safer that way.”

“We’ve already got targets on our backs, sweetheart.” Dean flinched slightly when Kristin shot him a glare for the name. “Sorry, bad habit.”

“You seem to have a lot of those,” Kristin responded lightly, the corners of her mouth turned up subtly. “By the way, where’s your...date?”

“Date. Right.” Dean leaned back in his chair, running his fingers through his hair. “Left a while ago.”

“Not the master of the morning after, huh?”

“No, but you seem to be the master of changing the subject,” Dean countered, crossing his arms.

Kristin sighed and worked her bottom lip with her teeth. “I told you, I don’t just share things like this.”

“What if we told you something about us?” Sam offered. She seemed to think about it for a moment, then nodded.

“Ok,” she turned to Dean, her eyes boring into his, “but I want you to tell me.”

“Me? Why?” Dean was confused by the sudden interest. Clearly the connection between Kristin and his brother was stronger. 

“I haven’t figured you out yet. You’re like me though; guarded.” She cocked her head to the side and regarded him curiously. “Maybe if you can dig deep, so can I.”

Truth be told, she was very interested in what hid behind those green eyes. She had experienced the hard ass, ladies man thus far but saw glimpses of something else. She saw it when he apologized sincerely earlier in the evening, when he carried the small boy the entire time through the tunnels, and again when he damn near burst into the room ready to save the day. There was more to Dean Winchester and if he could let down his guard long enough to be even a little vulnerable, maybe there was hope for her.

“Fair enough,” Dean conceded, nervously. For some reason he felt very exposed under her intense gaze, but was also oddly flattered that she had chosen him for her trust test drive. Most people found it much easier to talk to Sam with his puppy dog eyes and empathetic tone of voice, but here she was wanting to hear from him instead.

Kristin listened as Dean explained the circumstances behind their mother’s death and how their father had made it his life’s mission to track down the yellow eyed demon. He shared some of their childhood hunts and how he was always in charge of keeping Sam alive. She felt her heart clench as his voice strained every now and then. She recognized that feeling of obligation to protect his younger sibling and found herself relating to him more and more as he spoke.

Dean was surprised at how easily the words flowed from his mouth once he got going. She was easy to talk to; no interruptions, no judgement. The sight of her in such agony, slunked on the bed when he first entered seemed to strike a chord deep inside him. Ever since they met she had exuded confidence, which bordered on cockiness and was stubborn as hell. She was always prepared, had a love for classic cars and could handle a gun like a pro. She was the mirror image of himself which meant she too bore a terrible burden that ate away at her soul. He could see it now and suddenly he felt that he needed to help her, but there was a limit to what he could bear to say out loud.

Sam too was surprised at his brother’s confession, but noticed how Dean steered clear of their father’s demise and the circumstances leading up to Dean’s own deal. That part didn’t surprise him in the least. If he wasn’t willing to let his own brother save him, why would he bother telling her about it at all? As far as she knew, they were still hunting their mother’s killer and their father was simply gone.

“I’m so sorry about your mom.” Kristin reached out and touched Dean’s knee, giving it a small squeeze. “Thank you for trusting me with that information.” She stared into his green eyes, which were slightly glazed over from the memory and offered a small smile of comfort. Before he could cover her hand with his, she withdrew and turned her attention to Sam, giving him the same sympathetic touch.

“Sounds like we have a similar demon problem,” she sighed. The brothers exchanged a look then watched as she visibly struggled with herself. She closed her eyes and let out another long breath, preparing herself for something she never did before; tell the whole truth. “I guess I should start from the beginning if this is going to make any kind of sense.” 

“It’s ok. Just take your time,” Sam insisted softly.

Kristin looked between Sam and Dean one last time, waiting for some sort of red flag that would convince her to keep her mouth shut. She didn’t see one. They were born into this life, conquered horrors no one should be faced with and still carried on. They would understand and she would trust them. For now.

“My parents never wanted me. I was born six years after my brother. I was a mistake.” Kristin fixed her eyes on something in the distance, not wanting to look at either one of them while she spoke. “My father worked in construction and was always getting home late at night. He would go straight for a bottle of cheap whiskey and just waste away on the couch until the next morning. My mother was just a plain old, dirty skank. She brought home strange men while my dad was at work or would disappear for days at a time. I guess being a mother wasn’t the life she wanted to live.

“I was often left to my own devices; cooking for myself, trying to study, playing with imaginary friends. I was always too embarrassed to bring anyone from school home with me. Then there was my darling brother, Nick. He was always beating up on me and I’m not talking about playful, sibling tussling. I had bruises and cuts all over me. One time I cracked a rib from being pushed down the stairs. My father got pissed that he had to pay for my medical care and decided that I didn’t deserve any pain killers. He sold them for some extra cash.

“It went on for years and I found myself just brimming with hate and rage all the time. I didn’t care about my school work anymore, I became a hermit basically, locked in my room so I could avoid the beatings and yelling. My mom eventually left when I was twelve and that year was the worst. My father started drinking during the day and my brother had started experimenting with drugs and couldn’t hold a job to save his life. 

“I remember a few weeks before my thirteenth birthday I was watching TV, thankfully alone for once, and I saw an ongoing story about several families in the area being slaughtered in their homes. There was always one survivor left, babbling about “a darkness taking over” and not being able to stop it. They were carted off to prison, most likely with an insanity plea in their back pocket. I remember thinking to myself how much I wished my family was dead. How I hated my life and just wished for a way out. I had so much hate in my heart.”

Kristin paused and wrapped her arms around her body, a look of regret on her face. She never wanted to feel that kind of rage ever again and even talking about the memory gave her chills.

“My birthday came and of course it was like any other day. I spent most of the time in my room, reading a book and watching the rain fall outside my window. My father was passed out on the couch after another night of binge drinking. Nick had been gone for two days with his rabble of drug addicts and hoodlums, but decided to come home that night. I could hear him stumbling around downstairs, slamming cabinets and cursing. I remember praying for just one night of peace as a birthday present. 

“The next thing I knew, he was banging on my door like a wild animal. I yelled at him to stop but he started kicking at it instead. I just sat on my bed, holding my hands over my ears and screaming. The door finally gave away and he came charging into my room. The look in his eyes was just...beyond anything I’d ever seen. Whatever he was hopped up on had consumed him. I didn’t even have time to react before he was on top of me.”

Fresh tears had started to gather in Kristin’s eyes and she swatted at them. She finally looked into Sam’s eyes and he could see the torment. “Your big brother is supposed to protect you, right?” Then she shook her head and dropped her gaze back to her lap.

“He had an arm across my throat and his other hand over my mouth so I couldn’t scream. Not that it would make any difference. He had a sickening smile on his face, like he enjoyed my pain. Then he said, ‘a whore just like our mother’ and slapped me hard. I almost blacked out when my teeth clattered together. I thought I was in for the beating of my life but…he started tearing at my clothes.”

Dean felt sick to his stomach as he sensed where the story was headed. He could feel his fists clenching as they laid across the tops of his thighs, wishing he could somehow jump into the story and beat the living crap out of her brother. Suddenly, he felt guilty for hitting on her earlier.

Sam’s face was twisted in disgust as well and he wanted to pull her into his arms just to protect her from the memory. He dared not touch her in fear of a violent reaction, seeing that her eyes were clouded over as she trudged through.

“I tried to fight him, but he was just too strong for me. I felt so many things in that moment - fear, betrayal, anger. I prayed for the strength to do something; for something to save me. I guess I should have been more specific in my request.” Kristin’s jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed unbeknownst to her.

“I remember the strangest feeling, like all of the air being sucked out of the room in an instant. I looked up into Nick’s eyes and they were widened in surprise and what looked to be pain. I was confused because he had stopped tearing at me and everything was so quiet. I couldn’t hear the rain splattering against my window or the thunder rumbling in the distance. I could only hear my heartbeat pulsing wildly.

“It was then that I realized I had my hand around his neck and was pushing him backwards, away from me. I was amazed at the strength I suddenly had and felt a rush of energy that ran all through my body. I was able to get to my feet, still holding him in my grip. By this point he had started clawing at my hand, trying to release himself but I wasn’t phased in the least. I just looked at him and smiled. Then…” Kristin looked over at Dean, a chilling look on her face that caught him off guard. “I snapped his fucking neck.”

Dean’s chest tightened and he slumped back in his chair. “You were possessed.”

Kristin nodded solemnly and turned her attention back towards an object in the distance, unable to look him in the eye once again.

“As I watched the life leave his eyes, I felt relieved, happy and then scared to death. Up to this point I thought that it was me wielding such power, that God had answered my prayers. Then, I felt the coldness envelope me and I was pushed back into myself. I could see through my eyes, but I no longer felt in control of my body. It was a cold, dark place inside and I couldn’t escape.”

Kristin’s voice had started to hitch as she recalled the feeling of being invaded and alone at the same time. She hugged herself again and paused for a moment to gather herself while Sam and Dean exchanged knowing glances. Sam’s possession had thrown them for a loop and Sam still had the occasional nightmare; lost memories of his time trapped inside his own body.

“I went downstairs and found my father passed out on the couch. I went to the liquor cabinet and grabbed a full bottle of Jack Daniels. I straddled him and proceeded to pour the alcohol into his mouth. He woke up almost immediately, fighting to breathe but I held him down easily. I kept pouring until he choked and eventually drowned. Again, I felt a surge of glee as I watched him die. It was like the demon was feeding off all my rage and turning it into ecstasy. 

“I didn’t know why, but I started tearing through the house, breaking everything I could get my hands on. I was laughing and screaming in delight like a mad woman. This went on for about twenty minutes before I heard the front door burst open. I thought maybe the neighbors had called the cops when they heard the ruckus. When I came barreling into the living room, ready to tear out some throats I was hit with water and it burned like fire.

“I fell to the ground screeching and before I knew what was happening, my hands were being bound and a woman was surrounding me with a circle of salt. I looked behind me to find her male companion tightening the ropes and I tried to bite him, but he doused me again. The demon inside me knew instantly they were hunters and were going to exorcise it. It told me that it wanted to possess me again and refused to be sent back to Hell. It said that my rage felt all warm and wonderous. It would be back for me when my guard was down again.

“It left me in a cloud of smoke before either of the hunters could utter a single incantation. I passed out, too exhausted and frightened from the experience. I woke up a few hours later in another house. A little blonde girl was sitting next to me on the bed, wiping my face with a wet rag.” Kristin closed her eyes, a few tears falling down her cheeks as she recalled the beautiful little face. “Her name was Erin, she was eight years old and her parents were Frank and Maggie, the hunters that saved me.”


	5. White Picket Fence Blown to Bits

They listened intently as Kristin shared the memories of her hunter adolescence, growing up with a new family that actually cared for her. Frank and Maggie opened their home and life experiences to her, showing her all the darkness in the world but preparing her in every way to conquer it. They immediately gave her an anti-possession charm to wear around her neck, especially since the demon had hinted at its intention of possessing her again. Maggie taught her how to fight those bigger and stronger while Frank taught her how to shoot and use a knife efficiently.

She took the role of big sister very seriously when it came to protecting and loving Erin. Even though she wasn’t blood, she felt closer to her than anyone in her miserable life. She took every precaution to keep Erin’s innocence intact as long as possible, aside from knowing the truth about the evil in the world. She wanted Erin to grow up knowing what it felt like to be cherished as she never was.

The family stayed local for the most part which is how they originally discovered the demon whipping through broken homes. Both Kristin and Erin attended school a few towns away on a semi regular basis. The summers were spent on the road tracking down hunts with an occasional stop for enjoyment. Although hunting was their main purpose, Frank and Maggie wanted their children to have some semblance of a normal life. It was an odd balance, but it worked. The girls were well rounded individuals; book and street smarts.

From the time Kristin was thirteen until she reached the legal age, the demon had possessed many of those around her, determined to one day inhabit her body. She even took the initiative to get an anti-possession tattoo on her eighteenth birthday, which Dean and Sam found to be quite the coincidence and amusing at the same time. Great minds really do think alike.

“I had hoped the demon would eventually tire of trying, but I underestimated its obsession.” Up until then Kristin had looked almost nostalgic while telling them about her family, but her voice began to falter. They knew something big was about to be revealed.

“I was out for the night, celebrating graduation with a few friends. We were just drinking, partying and raising hell like any normal teenager. I actually forgot about all this supernatural crap for the evening. It was damn near two in the morning before I bothered to stumble home.” Her eyes glazed over and a dark look crossed her face before she continued.

“The house was dark, which was strange because Maggie could never sleep soundly until everyone was home safe. She would huddle on the couch, her shotgun nestled under the blanket and the lamp beside her blazing. I was still slightly buzzed when I was fumbling around for my keys so I didn’t notice right away that the door was cracked open already.”

Kristin seemed to blast through the rest of the story, as if the faster she talked, the less it would hurt. The demon had gotten past the family’s defenses and took over Erin’s body. It was like some horrific deja vu; a 13 year old girl murdering her family in cold blood. Kristin didn’t even have time to react when she stumbled upon the lifeless bodies of her parents before the demon had snapped Erin’s neck and fled in a cloud of black smoke. She had fallen to her knees beside her sister, gathering her limp body close and sobbed uncontrollably. Everything was falling apart and she felt helpless to stop it.

“I had some dark days after that. I set out on my own, determined to kill that bastard. I didn’t care what happened to me as long as I could watch it scream on its way back to Hell.” She closed her eyes as if ashamed. “I drank, I fought, I slept around. I killed any and every evil thing I came across without a moment’s hesitation. I was a loose cannon.”

“Sounds vaguely familiar,” Dean chimed in, a crooked smile on his face. He understood that darkness she felt; that insatiable need for revenge. 

“Yeah well…” Kristin shook her head slowly. “I didn’t like the person I had become, but it was a means to an end.”

“So you found it?” Sam asked, urging her to continue.

“I summoned that mother fucker, begging it to possess me, letting it think that I had given up the fight. I even went as far as slicing my own tattoo to allow him access. He let his own obsession cloud his judgement and I led him straight into a devil’s trap I had meticulously hidden beneath the floorboards.” 

The look of twisted pleasure on Kristin’s face as she described the demon’s demise actually gave Sam chills. Dean, however, seemed to share her euphoria. That undeniable surge of satisfaction he felt when the bullet ripped through Yellow Eyes’ skull was all consuming. He also knew that it was a short lived feeling and the void would soon return.

“I thought it was all over when I sent him back to Hell.” She fidgeted with the corner of the blanket as she went on. “I hunted for a couple more years, but something was...different.”

“Your family was gone. You had your revenge,” Sam offered up, knowing the loss she felt. Without someone by your side, it almost didn’t seem worth it. He swallowed the lump in his throat, not wanting to admit that he would soon know the feeling if he couldn’t find a way out of Dean’s deal. He too would be alone to fight the evils of the world and somehow, he didn’t think he could manage.

“I decided to see what greener pastures were waiting for me if I quit the business.”

“I’m guessing it didn’t work out,” Dean chimed in.

“I moved back close to home, hoping it would give me some kind of peace being near to…” Her voice trailed off and she had to take another deep breath. “I got a job as a Vet Technician. Took to it pretty naturally; never batted an eye at blood and guts. My impeccable bandaging skills were also appreciated.” She chuckled a little at the memory.

“How long were you out?” Sam asked.

“Almost a full year. I had good friends, a job I liked, and a man I actually thought I could settle down with.” Tears welled up in her eyes once again and she sniffled despite herself. “Jeremy was a breath of fresh air for me. He never prodded me about my past, just wanted to live in the moment with me.”

In that moment, Sam thought about Jess and how different his life at Stanford had been. It had seemed so hopeful, full of potential. He too had seen a glimpse of a future that included a beautiful house, a dog and Jess waddling around with a pregnant belly while he drove off to work, a partner in his own firm. Unbeknownst to him, tears had started to form in his eyes as well; for Kristin’s loss and his own.

“He loved three things more than anything else in the world; his mom, his car, and me.” She genuinely laughed. “Probably in that order.”

“Sounds like a stand up guy.” Dean smiled, although he knew the happy memory was coming to an end. He watched as her eyes became unfocused once again and her mouth trembled.

“He never saw it coming. I never warned him about…” Kristin covered her eyes, shaking her head violently. “Everyone I love dies. I’m fucking cursed!”

She felt like her lungs were collapsing, the blood in her veins burning like fire as she felt the familiar anger rise up inside her belly. She pushed it down, scared that she would literally explode from the poisonous thoughts.

“That demon. I don’t know how he came back. I sent that sonofabitch to Hell. He found me. He killed Jeremy.” She bit back the urge to sob as she had when she was first awoken from her dream. She couldn’t break down like that again. She couldn’t show that kind of weakness.

“Did he hurt you? Try to possess you again?” Sam asked, concern evident in his voice. She shook her head.

“He’s toying with me again. He won’t rest until I’ve gone bat shit and can’t fight anymore.”

“Is that what you’re dreaming about?” Dean asked. “Jeremy’s death? The demon?”

Kristin nodded tiredly. “It’s been four months and the dreams are getting stronger, more vivid.”

“Four months?” Sam raised his brows, throwing a worried glance in Dean’s direction. “He was killed four months ago?”

Sam felt his stomach clench when she nodded again. He closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose, trying to calm his thoughts. The demon that killed her family was released when the Devil’s Gate was opened and somehow he felt personally responsible for her boyfriend’s unnecessary death. He could have stopped it all if he had just killed Jake before he had the chance to stab him in the back, literally. 

Dean could see the wheels spinning in Sam’s head, but before he could say anything to calm his brother’s misguided blame, Kristin’s voice snapped him out of it.

“What is it?” She had sensed the tension in the room immediately. She hadn’t gone this long in the business without inheriting a sixth sense about things. She could see the silent language passed between the brothers, but had yet to decipher their particular dialect. “Tell me.”

“Something happened four months ago…”

“Sam,” Dean interrupted in a warning tone. He wasn’t sure just how much information his brother was about to divulge.

“Dean, she needs to know.” 

“Need to know what?” Kristin asked excitedly. Her tears had dissipated and she was now sitting fully upright, gaze locked on Sam expectedly.

“There was a Devil’s Gate in Wyoming.”

“A Devil’s Gate?” She looked back and forth between them, eyes widened. “An actual doorway to Hell?”

“The real deal.” Dean sighed, resting his arms on top of his thighs and leaning forward. 

“Someone was chosen to open this gate.” Sam chose his words carefully, knowing that it was not the right time to explain everything about the special children, himself included. “We tried to stop it.”

“You’re saying that all of the demons got out?”

“Not all of them,” Dean assured. “But a helluva lot of ‘em.”

Kristin’s bottom lip nearly touched the floor as she huffed out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. It was no wonder she had been particularly busy these past four months. She may have known about the recent release of evil if she took the time to network with other hunters.

“Who opened the gate?”

“Kid named Jake. He was being manipulated by a pretty powerful demon.”

“He’s dead now,” Sam answered before she could ask. 

“You knew him?”

“Sort of.” Sam stole another glance at Dean, guilt riddling his face. “He tried to kill me.”

“He knew you were trying to stop him.” Kristin’s eyes were boring into Sam’s and for the first time since they met, he felt nervous. “Unbelievable.”

She stood now, unable to keep still with all of the new information being brought to light. She started to pace, clutching her arms as if she was cold. Truth be told, she did have cold chills running down her spine knowing that not only her demon stalker was free, but many others.

“I’m sorry about your boyfriend.” Dean spoke softly, unsure of anything else to say in that moment. 

“It was too good to be true,” she admitted sadly. “He was never safe. I was stupid to think otherwise.”

“Hey.” Sam stood and came towards her, reaching out with his hand to clutch her shoulder. He gave it a good squeeze and she looked up at him with pained eyes. “It’s not your fault.”

“If I had just left him alone, he would still be alive.” She shrugged his hand from her shoulder and took a few steps back. “Hunters don’t get attachments.”

Dean was about to defend the importance of having family and allies, but found himself a bit of a hypocrite. Although he and Sam worked well together, even enjoyed each other’s company more often than not, he realized that their big weakness was each other. It got them into more than their fair share of jams, his present situation included.

“We could sit here and play the blame game all night, or…” Dean stood as well, squaring himself up with Kristin. “We can help you kill this demon.”

“I work alone. It’s better that way.”

“Not if you don’t have the right weapon,” Sam interjected.

“What do you mean?”

Sam looked over at Dean in a silent plea, wondering if he was crazy to reveal the existence of the Colt to someone they had just met. He wasn’t sure if his need to help her was more selfish, helping to alleviate some of the guilt in allowing Jake to slip through his fingers. Dean could read the emotions on Sam’s face and decided to make the decision himself.

“You ever heard of Samuel Colt?”

“The inventor?” she asked with a quirked brow. 

“Among other things.” Sam continued. “He was a hunter too. He designed a Colt that could kill anything.”

“Bullshit.” She had meant to sound more stern but her voice wavered slightly, a glimmer of hope that what they were implying was true.

“We ganked a couple demons before.” Dean was serious and she knew it.

“But...it’s impossible…” She plopped back down onto the bed in a huff.

“We didn’t believe it either, but it’s true.” Sam sighed heavily, running his hand through his brown locks. “Let us help you.”

“Why do you want to help me?” She looked up at Sam, then Dean. “You don’t even know me.”

“We know what it’s like to lose someone. A few someones actually.” Sam cleared his throat, that nagging lump returning. “We understand the need.”

“Hell, I’m just happy to kill some evil sons of bitches.” Dean grinned, trying to lighten the heavy mood. It was starting to make him a little uncomfortable, especially now that she was staring at him.

Kristin’s head was spinning. The demon had escaped from a Devil’s Gate. These hunters had a gun that could put an end to the demon forever. They didn’t know her, but wanted to help her. Hell, she was pretty sure that Dean had wanted to leave her in the dust not twenty-four hours ago. Was this another case of ‘too good to be true’ or was she finally getting a small slice of luck? Her instincts told her that she should get as far away as possible. Even if she didn’t know them that well, she couldn’t have their blood on her hands and let’s face it, everyone that came near her ended up dead. 

Still, the thought of killing that demon once and for all with the help of the Winchesters and their magical Colt was far too tempting. Her better judgement was starting to falter and was replaced with that overwhelming need for revenge, again.

“Alright.” She slapped her palms against her thighs before getting to her feet. “Let’s do this.”


	6. I Wanna Feel You From the Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unusual case finds _them_ instead

“Why are we staying here again?” Dean stood in the middle of the floral themed room, scrunching his nose at the row of porcelain dolls on the mantel.

“You don’t like bed and breakfasts?” Kristin asked, flinging back the curtains and gazing into the courtyard.

“I don’t like flowers, potpourri and dolls staring at me while I sleep.”

“It’s better than bed bugs, stained carpets and questionable plumbing,” Sam interjected, coming to Kristin’s aid as usual.

“Besides, it’s the only place to stay in this old town.” She grabbed her duffle bag from the floor and tossed it onto the bed. “I’ll take this room you big baby.”

Two months had flown by and the trio of hunters were still on the cold trail to find Kristin’s demon. It was as if the demon was taking special care to stay away from them. At times she wondered if it had truly given up or was biding its time for something big. The latter worried her more than anything.

They certainly were not at a loss for jobs though and had taken up several cases in the meantime. It was like hunting with her family, Kristin realized, and she found herself opening up more and more each day to the brothers. Her relationship with Sam was much different than the one she had with Dean, but she cared for them just as much.

Sam was her intellectual soulmate. They shared common interests in books, movies, and history. Neither of them balked at research and found it to be quite exhilarating to discover new facts about a case. It had also become somewhat of a tradition to fall asleep watching episodes of I Love Lucy after a hunt, just as they had the first night. They teased each other often, but knew when to be serious. Sam started to reveal more about his time at Stanford, including the death of his girlfriend, Jess. They shared that bond of losing someone they loved intimately. He even opened up about his psychic abilities to an extent and was relieved when she didn’t treat him differently or call him a freak.

Dean continued to keep his deal a secret, despite Sam’s protests. He was always honest with her, but skillfully kept certain aspects of his life out of reach. She could sense that he was holding back, but never pushed the issue. Instead, they enjoyed each other’s company while listening to music and tinkering with their cars whenever they had free time. He would make a dirty joke and she would counter with an equally obscene one until they couldn’t contain their laughter. Their screaming matches were epic, but forgiving each other came swift and easy. Most of the time she knew that he was just being protective and he knew that she was naturally defensive.

“You guys can rock, paper, scissors for the room with the fireplace.”

Sam and Dean looked at each other, then darted from the room, intending to beat the other to the chase instead of settling it the usual way. Kristin laughed at their antics and set about unpacking some of her toiletries. The bathroom had a gorgeous clawfoot tub that beckoned to her. The New England weather was just starting to get a little chilly and since she forfeited the fireplace, she was going to make due with a hot bubble bath later that evening.

Again, she pulled back the curtains and gazed at the colorful trees and shrubs in the quaint little courtyard. It would soon be turned to frosty white when the Winter came blowing through. It seemed so peaceful, like something out of a Thomas Kinkade painting. For a moment she thought she felt a tingling sensation of recognition as her eyes stopped on a white, wooden bench almost hidden from view. Her heart skipped a beat, but was quieted when she heard a shuffling behind her.

Dean dramatically threw himself onto the bed face down and moaned into the comforter. Kristin chuckled and sat down beside him, patting him on the back.

“Sam beat you to it, huh?”

“He’s spry for a beanstalk.” He lifted his head and looked up at her incredulously. “I thought being the big brother afforded me some rights.”

“What did you get stuck with?”

“The purple pansy room.” Dean scrunched his nose. “I want my skeezy, low key, magic fingers room back.”

“A room to fit your personality.”

“I do have some magic fingers.” Dean grinned and wiggled all ten fingers along with his eyebrows in Kristin’s direction. “I can show you sometime.”

“I have my own magic fingers darlin’ and they work like a dream.” 

“I would love to see that.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

The innocent flirting had turned a little risque over the passing weeks, but nothing ever came of it. It seemed to become the normal banter between the two whenever they were alone and sometimes even when Sam was around, but Kristin always took pity on him and ceased when his expression turned uncomfortable. She had to admit that she liked the exchanges; mostly because Dean was indeed a gorgeous being who could have his pick of women and it boosted her ego. 

“I’m going to take a bath before bed,” she announced, pushing herself off the bed.

“By all means.” Dean sat up to lean against the headboard, placing his hands behind his head. It was rather cute, truth be told.

“Out.” Kristin smirked and pointed towards the door.

“Tease.” Dean pouted and shuffled the entire way, like a kid being sent to his room for timeout and closed the door behind him.

“Alone at last, lover,” Kristin purred at the clawfoot tub. It was going to be a good night.

****

Her eyes snapped open as if a silent alarm in her body had beckoned her awake. She sat up straight in bed and glanced around the room as if seeing it for the first time. The bed felt warm and cozy beneath her fingertips and she almost didn’t want to leave its confines now that she could appreciate the comfort. Still, she slipped from the beneath the covers and made her way to the full length mirror that stood against the opposite wall.

As she studied the reflection gazing back at her, something felt off. Kristin could see the same hazel eyes, recognized the contours of her body but a voice deep inside was insisting that she was not herself. There was a haze settling in her brain, but it did not frighten her. She suddenly felt the undying urge to hurry to the bench in the courtyard. She was supposed to be there; she couldn’t be late.

She quietly snuck out of her room and onto the patio on the first floor, still sporting her tank top and cotton shorts despite the chill in the air. She didn’t seem to care; she only felt the pull. The entire building was quiet and dark, all of its occupants sleeping soundly, and she was thankful for the discretion. No one would see her slinking across the grass towards the back of the courtyard where the privacy of the trees hid the bench from immediate sight.

With each step her anticipation grew, knowing that her reward would be claimed soon. She reached the bench and sat down eagerly, glancing up at the stars above her head. The night was clear and only a soft wind blew through the trees, causing her to wrap her arms around her frame. Minutes passed by and she was beginning to wonder if he wasn’t coming. He had promised to meet her here in this spot once the world was asleep. Her heart ached to see him, although she wasn’t entirely sure who she so longed to see. The haze in her mind was almost all consuming now and she simply could not function beyond the primal instincts compelling her.

“Sarah?” a deep, soothing voice called from behind her. Yes, that was her name; Sarah. He hadn’t broken his promise to her.

She jumped up from her seat and whirled around to face the familiar figure standing a few feet from her in his plaid pajama pants and bare chest. He was taller than she remembered, but his hazel eyes portrayed the same longing that matched her own. His brown hair was disheveled as if he too had just rolled out of bed, remembering the pact they had made to meet here on this very night.

“William,” she breathed, although another name had also popped into her head but was quickly whisked away by the fog. Not able to bear another second without his touch, she bounded over to him and literally jumped into his arms.

He anticipated her advance and caught her easily, lifting her up just enough to swing her around. She laughed at the joyful gesture but was quickly silenced by his lips pressed lovingly against her own. The sensation sent waves of warmth throughout her entire body and she moaned in content. He took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, slipping his tongue inside and grabbing a fist full of her hair in the process. The kiss became more desperate as if it was the last they would ever share and she held on for dear life, digging her nails into his muscular back.

After what seemed like ages, they broke apart panting like wild animals and staring into each other’s eyes. 

“I thought you might not come,” she admitted in between breaths.

“I will always come for you.” He caressed the side of her face slowly. “You’re my girl.”

“Did anyone see you?”

“I don’t think so. I was careful.”

“If he finds us…” 

“He won’t.” He kissed her again firmly, assuring her. “We can be together now.”

“Yes,” she replied, running her hand over his bare chest. “Now.” It was a very deliberate invitation.

He smiled down at her, the lust overflowing in his dilated pupils. He had wanted this for so long and now every fiber in his body screamed out for her, even beyond the mist in his own mind. Without another word, he scooped her up and made a beeline for his room, careful not to disturb the sleeping souls inside.

Once inside, he set her down gently and hurried over to the fireplace to set about making a fire to warm their cold bodies. As she watched him light a match, a flash of a memory echoed in her mind. You guys can rock, paper, scissors for the room with the fireplace. It was an odd thing to remember, but it brought back another layer of recognition as she watched him walk back towards her. Seeing his amazing body glow in the firelight quickly erased any rational thought and she was all want, need, and lust.

Their bodies were like magnets as they came together again, pressing so close that it would have been hard to distinguish who was who. Their kiss was pure desire as tongues, teeth and lips danced together feverishly while articles of clothing were ripped away without care. Soon they stood naked in front of each other, breathing heavily and appreciating the works of art that were on full display.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered as his eyes traveled from her face all the way to her toes that were painted a deep red. 

She giggled and did a little twirl so he could admire all of her assets. His brow furrowed slightly when he caught sight of a circular, black tattoo with a scar running through it on the back of her right shoulder. I even went as far as slicing my own tattoo to allow him access. He felt a jolt of shame just then as if he wasn’t supposed to be looking at her in such a way, all exposed. The feeling was gone as quickly as it had appeared and he remembered that they both wanted this. They were in love, after all.

She backed away from him until she felt the edge of the bed against the back of her thighs and laid back. He followed and hovered above her, supporting his weight with both elbows on either side. He leaned down and began trailing kisses along her neck and collarbone, smiling at the little gasps of air she took with each touch. Her hands roamed freely over his back, kneading every time she felt a surge of pleasure through her body as his assault on her flesh grew more urgent. By the time his lips met the delicate skin of her breasts she was on fire. She grabbed his face and to his surprise, pulled his entire weight on top of her before kissing him hungrily. 

“Hurry,” was her desperate plea against his lips. He groaned in response as she squeezed him with her thighs, urging him to take her immediately.

Every fiber in her body screamed in ecstasy when he entered her hard and deep. He waited for a moment, reveling in his own pleasure as she wrapped perfectly around him. When she moved her hips greedily towards him he began a slow, torturous pace that was sure to drive them both over the edge. Their moans mingled together with each glorious thrust and the animalistic urges began to take over. She bit his shoulder when the pleasure became too much while he wrapped one hand into her brown locks and tugged in response. 

“William,” she moaned into his neck but her mind screamed for Sam. She knew it was him in that moment but had no desire to stop, even as she flickered in and out of both realities. Everything was blurring together, but the sensations running rampant through her nerves started to shut her brain down. 

He quickened his pace when he felt her body start to shake and knew that the final wave was about to hit. He leaned back and gripped her hips so tightly that he was afraid he may hurt her, but she urged him on with her incoherent ramblings of satisfaction. In one last, feverish thrust of the hips she allowed the fire in her belly to explode in a sublime finale worthy of the Fourth of July. Then, everything went dark.

****

Kristin was awakened by the insistent knocking on her door and she grumbled from beneath the covers. Her head was pounding so hard that even the smallest ray of sunlight stung her eyes and made her burrow even deeper into the bed.

“I’m coming in so make sure you’re not decent!”

“Uh huh,” she mumbled lazily, too tired to fire back with a smart ass comment.

Dean opened the door and narrowed his eyes at the lump in the bed, surprised that he was the first one up and ready to go. Normally Sam was bouncing around at the crack of dawn, already caffeinated with Kristin following shortly after.

“What is wrong with you two?”

“Hmm?” Kristin pushed the sheets back from her face, glaring over at him. He was at the side of the bed, arms crossed and looking down at her with curiosity.

“You and Sam. You both look like hell.”

“Thanks a lot.” She sat up, nearly falling back again when a wave of nausea hit. “My head is killing me.”

“You always sleep naked?” 

The shock of the question jolted her awake and she looked down to see that the sheets were barely covering her breasts. An inch lower and Dean would have gotten the full monty for free. She cursed and quickly brought the sheets up to her chin.

“Do you mind?”

“No, I don’t actually,” he said in all seriousness.

“Dean!”

“I love it when you scream my name.” 

“What do you want?”

“That is a loaded question.”

“I’m not in the mood.”

“You’re the first woman to say that to me.” The look on her face told him that the conversation was going to end if he didn’t state his business. “Breakfast is in ten minutes.”

“Make sure a big cup of coffee is waiting for me.”

“You may need the whole pot.” 

Dean shook his head and left the room, intending to snag the first available seat in the dining room.

Kristin scoffed and threw herself back into the pillow, covering her face to block out the sunlight. Every ounce of energy felt like it had drained from her overnight, which was something she had never experienced before. Like a faucet being turned on, memories started to trickle in of the incredibly vivid dream she had. She remembered the feeling of being taken by something but still vaguely aware of her actions. She shuddered as the spot between her legs pulsated with the memory of Sam inside her. No, it was this William person that she had sex with in her dream, not Sam. Although he looked a lot like Sam and it felt so damn real...and wonderful. She had also woken up naked, which she was sure she hadn’t fallen asleep as such.

The thoughts just came in droves until she couldn’t take it anymore and flung herself out of the bed and began to busy herself with getting ready. She didn’t want to think about it anymore, especially when she was about to come face to face with Sam at breakfast. One thing was for sure, she was not going to tell anyone about this.

****

“Seriously dude, what is wrong with you?” Dean stared across the table at his brother, watching him massage his shoulder. “You’ve been messing with that thing all morning.”

“Huh?” He hadn’t realized that Dean was watching him so close and he suddenly felt self conscious, letting his hand drop into his lap. “Nothing’s wrong with me.”

“You’re a terrible liar.” Dean chomped on a piece of bacon. “That’s why I always kick your ass in poker.”

“I just had a really strange dream last night.” Sam fiddled around with the scrambled eggs on his plate, avoiding eye contact with his brother. He still wasn’t sure if he should even mention it, especially knowing how much Dean would push him for details.

“Strange how? Like one of your visions?” There was a hint of worry in Dean’s voice at the prospect as he knew how debilitating those were to Sam. 

“No, not like that.” Sam cleared his throat and looked around to make sure no one could hear him. “Like a...sex dream.” He actually blushed a little admitting this.

“Really?” Dean grinned and leaned in closer. “You quiet ones, always with the strange sex. Are we talking ball gags and chains or abducted by aliens kind of strange?”

“Dude, gross.” Sam fidgeted nervously, touching the spot on his shoulder again. “It felt like someone took over my body.”

“I don’t follow.”

“I woke up and I felt like I was someone else, but still with some of my own memories intact.”

“So like a possession?”

“Yeah, but it didn’t feel like a demon. I didn’t feel threatened or anything like that. I just felt compelled to find this woman.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” Dean smiled and took another eager bite of his food. “Was she hot?”

“Well...it was Kristin.”

The smile on Dean’s face faltered for a brief second, but he caught himself before Sam could read anything too far into it. He busied himself with adding sugar to his coffee mug. “Kristin, really?”

“Yes and no. I mean, it was her body but I felt like it was really Sarah.”

“Who’s Sarah?”

“I have no idea, but that’s who William thought she was.”

“Who’s William?”

“I was William.”

“Dude, I have no idea what you’re saying.”

“It felt like these two spirits had taken over our bodies so they could, you know…”

“Screw?” Dean raised an eyebrow as Sam nodded, clearly embarrassed. “You’re right. Ghost sex is really strange.”

“That’s not the strangest part.”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“While we were...screwing in the dream, she bit me.” Sam reached up and pulled down the collar of his shirt enough for Dean to see a very distinct set of teeth marks on his shoulder. “I woke up with this and a killer headache.”

“Oh my God.” The sound of Kristin’s voice startled both of them and they quickly whipped their heads around to find her standing in the threshold. She held a hand over her mouth and the look on her face said it all - it wasn’t a dream.


	7. It's Never Over

It was a beautiful Autumn day outside despite the turmoil going on inside Kristin’s mind as she sat in one of the rockers on the back patio. After the realisation during her innocent eavesdropping, she had fled the room without another word. Truth be told, there were no words she could conjure in that moment that would have done her feelings justice. Instead, she decided to give herself a few minutes alone to really deal with what she had learned. It boiled down to this - she and Sam had done the dirty deed. 

She caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye, half expecting to see an embarrassed Sam tentatively making his way over to her. It was worse.

 “Choose your words _very_ carefully, Dean,” she said through gritted teeth.

The tone in her voice gave him pause, but he slowly eased his way down into the chair next to her. She could hear him clearing his throat and fidgeting, trying to heed her warning of choosing the appropriate thing to say.

“You ok?”

 She let out a laugh, but it wasn’t a joyful one. “Pretty fucking far from ok right now.”

 “You want to tell me about it?”

 “No Dean, I don’t want to give you all the gory details.”

 “That’s not what I meant,” he began in a gruff voice, but checked himself. “Sam isn’t the only one you can talk to about stuff.”

 “I talk to you about stuff.”

 “Yeah, cars, music, and food.” He turned to look at her straight on. “Not exactly earth shattering information.”

 “So, you want to know what it was like screwing your little brother?”

 Dean winced and slunk back into the chair to avoid her gaze that was now eagerly fixed on him. “Well when you say it like that…”

 Kristin sighed and rubbed both temples with her fingertips, her headache still not relieved. “I just can’t believe this kind of shit keeps happening. If it’s not a demon, it’s a horny ghost.”

 “I’d take the horny ghost over a demon any day.”

 “I am _mortified_ , Dean.” She covered her entire face this time, wishing she could just disappear. “What if he pictures me naked every time he looks at me now?”

 “How is that any different from what I do all the time?” Dean grinned, but it quickly faded when she shot him daggers. “Right. Sorry. Not the time.”

 “Just forget it.” Kristin huffed and catapulted herself from the rocker, but Dean snagged her wrist before she could put any distance between them.

 “Hold on, alright?” His voice was firm, but she detected a hidden desperation in his tone. “We’re all freaked out about this, but I want to make sure you’re not going to do anything rash.”

 “Rash?”

 “Like run for the hills, leave us.” He cleared his throat again when she eyed him suspiciously. “You know, because you can’t handle this demon alone.”

 “I’m not going to leave you, Dean.” Kristin sighed, taking her seat again. “I just don’t know what the hell to say to Sam.”

 “Trust me, he’s pretty much speechless at this point too. Which is a first.”

 “You got any memory-be-gone spells hidden up your sleeve?”

 “Can’t say that I do.” He reached over and gripped her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. It was small token of his sensitive side that he rarely let show. “You guys’ll be ok. Trust me.”

 Kristin nodded absently, her thoughts already drifting back to a particularly hot and sweaty moment from the previous evening. She wasn’t sure how long it would take to erase these party reels in her mind or, even more awkward, stop being a little turned on by them.

 

****

 

Sam was already deep into the abyss of the Internet, searching for information on any Sarah or William in the area over the last hundred years when a tentative knock caused him to snap to attention. Kristin stood in the doorway, her teeth damn near chewing a hole in her bottom lip.

 “Hi,” they said in unison.

 “Ha, you owe me a Coke,” she tried to joke with a crooked smile, taking a step forward. “Got a minute?”

 “Yeah, of course.” Sam set his laptop down beside him on the bed and stood. “Couch?” he offered, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to the spot where they basically mauled each other.

 “Think I won’t be able to control myself?” Kristin smirked, but sobered immediately upon seeing Sam’s uncomfortable twitch. “Sorry, Dean’s imprinting bad habits on me.”

 They both sat down rigidly on the antique paisley sofa, facing forward at first. Despite the circumstances, Kristin found it almost amusing at the role reversal. Not ten minutes ago she was stewing in her own embarrassment while Dean attempted to clear the air with humor. She understood his defenses a little better now.

 “So I think it’s safe to say that what happened last night was very real.”

 “Very.” He emphasized the word with a quick raise of the eyebrows.

 “I remember being _aware_ of what was happening, but feeling very strongly influenced.”

 “Yeah, same here.” He dared to make eye contact with her. “Do you remember _everything_?”

 “In detail.”

 “Me too.”

 There was a long silence that followed as they both stole glances at each other, not really having the nerve to speak first. It felt like one of those awkward first dates as a teenager, sitting on the couch in your parents living room, too timid to make the first move.

 “This is weird. Right?” Kristin asked suddenly, still focusing on the wall in front of her.

 “A little weird, yeah.”

 “But it shouldn’t be because we’re mature adults.”

 “Mature adults.”

 “It was just sex. Not the end of the world.”

 “Just sex. Nothing special.”

 “Nothing special. Right.”

 “I mean, I’m not saying it was bad sex, because it wasn’t.”

 “Oh, no, definitely. You were great!” Once the sentence was out of her mouth, Kristin’s face flushed a deep red. She didn’t even know why she was fueling this fire anymore than needed. Maybe it was nerves, maybe she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Maybe she should just shut up.

 “Thanks,” Sam murmured, his lips curling into a smile as he watched the embarrassment play over her face.

 “Yeah, well, don’t let it go to your head,” she mumbled.

 “Got it.”

 “So…” she turned completely in her seat to look at him full on, “are we ok?”

 He could see the anxiety in her expression and it pulled at his heartstrings. She actually thought that he would push her away after this? Sure, he probably would have a few obscene thoughts here and there, but it was to be expected after such a heated night. Friends or not, they had crossed a sacred barrier but it was in no way an ending to their partnership. If anything, it may bring them closer.

 “We’ll always be ok, Kristin.”

 “Good.” She let out a relieved breath that she didn’t even realize she had been holding in. “You know what this means though, right?”

 “What?”

 “Dean will never let us live this down.”

 

****

 

Between researching the mystery behind the ghostly sexual deviants and making trips around town to gather intel for their current case, the trio was mentally exhausted by the time they returned to the bed and breakfast that evening. Everyone tried to conduct themselves as normal, but more often than not Dean would catch both Kristin and Sam stealing worried glances at each other as if trying to assess how the other was holding up. He knew they’d had a brief conversation, but the heaviness in the air told him that a lot had been left unsaid.

 He was a little worried himself, more so about Sam than Kristin. His brother had a way of falling hard for women that fell in his good graces, but the universe never really granted him the happiness he deserved. He wasn’t completely convinced that Sam had romantic feelings for her, but there were small “tells” that only Dean would notice. Kristin was a little harder to read, even though she was breaking down the wall she had built around herself brick by brick. Her loyalty to them was clear as day, but whether or not they would remain trusted comrades or graduate to more intimate partnerships was yet to be seen. This recent romp that Sam and Kristin stumbled into would certainly force some feelings to be considered.

 Admittedly, Dean was a little jealous of the bond his brother and Kristin shared seemingly from the first night they met. Sure, he liked the jokes and innuendos, the car talk, the bad singing of Metallica that left Sam grimacing, and even the passionate arguments that left them both heated and strangely satisfied. It was the leaning close, watching old black and white movies, whispering memories of a better time, falling asleep next to one another experience that he craved. He thought filling his bed with quantity rather than quality was the way to go out with a bang, but it was starting to lose its appeal. He realized with a sense of despair that even though he was starting to want those things, that it wouldn’t matter soon.

 Dean had agreed to keep an eye on Sam that night, just in case good ol’ William decided to come back for round two. Kristin said goodnight to them and retreated to her own room, eager for a peaceful night sleep while Dean made himself comfortable on the sofa in Sam’s room.

 “You want the bed? I’m not really tired yet.”

 “Nah, I’m good. Gotta stay awake to keep you two kinky kids away from each other.”

 “Thanks,” Sam muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Jerk.”

 “Bitch.”

 They both went on about their business - Sam flipping through a magazine of local amenities and Dean cleaning and assembling his gun on the coffee table. The sound of the grandfather clock in the foyer striking midnight was all that could be heard throughout the now empty house. For a moment, Sam froze and waited for the cliche of ghostly noises and objects moving on their own to begin, but when nothing stirred he snorted and went back to his reading.

 About a half hour passed by before the hairs on the back of Dean’s neck stood straight up and a thickness descended in the atmosphere. Before he could even think to react, a fog settled into his brain and he suddenly felt inexplicably angry. He lost interest in the gun and dropped it onto the table, turning to look at Sam who was unaware of the situation unfolding just across the room.

 Dean rose, fists clenched and eyes stone cold as he advanced slowly towards the bed. He saw his brother’s innocent looking face and scowled, knowing that beneath that exterior hid a traitor. All this time, smiling in his face while he snuck off to be with the woman he had picked to be his bride. He had tried to ignore the subtle, longing glances and the convenient excuses to bump into each other or be alone. This was his brother after all; someone who would never betray him.

 These thoughts were not welcome inside Dean’s head and he tried to push them out, but the rage was just too consuming. He realized in a brief moment of panic that he was the latest victim of another ghostly invasion. Powerless to stop, he pushed forward just in time for Sam to catch his movements out of the corner of his eye.

 “Dean, what are you doing?”

 The only answer he received was a swift blow to the face that sent him sprawling onto the mattress with a surprised grunt. Too dazed to defend himself, Sam endured another powerful punch to the side of the head that knocked him unconscious. Dean smirked at the ease of which his brother went down; he had always been the lesser being. He stood over his body, trembling with fury and adrenaline, unable to decide exactly what he should do with this window of opportunity. With his brother down for the count, _she_ would be defenseless.

 

****

 

The heavy pounding on the door startled Kristin awake and she instinctively fumbled for her gun, but realized she had left it in her duffle bag across the room. She flipped on the lamp beside her and squinted when the light stung her tired eyes.

 “Who is it?” she asked hurriedly, trying to sound as firm as possible.

 “It’s me. Open the door.”

 “Dean?” she mumbled, throwing the covers back in a huff.

 She glanced at the clock and groaned in disdain. Not even an hour of blissful rest. She padded over to the door, trying to shake the sleepy haze from her mind and unlocked it. “What’s going--”

 The hateful look on Dean’s face when she swung the door open took her breath away and nearly caused her to stumble back. She had never seen this expression before and immediately knew that she was in trouble.

 “Sarah,” he spat at her, taking a step forward into the room. She had no choice but to retreat a step, eyes wide and fully awake now. “You dirty, two-timing whore.”

 “Oh shit,” she breathed. “I’m not--”

 Her words were cut short when he reached out deftly and wrapped his hands around her neck. It was an exquisite feeling, her soft skin beneath his fingers, watching the panic rise in her eyes. She reached up to claw at his hands, but she was no match for his strength.

 “Dean!” she screamed in between the horrific choking sounds. “Stop!”

 The sound of his name momentarily loosened his grip ever so slightly as he focused on her reddening face. Her face was different than he remembered. Sarah’s skin was fair and flawless, a real picture of perfection that he studied on many occasions. Her eyes were a deep forest green that captivated every soul that looked into them. As the tears ran from his victim’s eyes, he noticed that there were brown and gold specks shining out from the green backdrop of her irises. That was something new. Then, those same tears trickled down her lightly freckled cheeks and disappeared under her chin. _Kristin. He was hurting her._

 The sickening realization jolted him from his assault and he released her, sending her crumbling to the floor like a sack of potatoes. She gasped and coughed wildly, trying with all her might to regain some of the oxygen she had lost during the struggle. Her lungs burned furiously and every breath was like swallowing a ball of needles. She blinked rapidly hoping that the spots clouding her eyesight would dissipate. For a second she allowed herself to feel a small sense of security, thinking that Dean had snapped out of it. She was wrong.

 Dean had enforced his own will long enough to keep himself from choking the life out of her, but the angry spirit was back with a vengeance all too soon. He saw her on the floor trying desperately to regain her composure and went for her again. This time he pinned her to the ground, holding her in place with both arms to her side.

 “How could you do this?” He shook her hard, almost slamming her head into the hardwood. “I would have given you everything!”

 “Dean...stop...I can’t...please.” Every word was painful in between gasps for air and almost didn’t make it out of her mouth.

 “Dean. Isn’t. Here.” He snarled and reached back with his right hand, ready to strike her.

 She closed her eyes, preparing for the blow as she was helpless to fight against it. The pain barely registered because as soon as he made contact her lights were effectively out.

 

****

 

If she thought her head ached when she woke up post ghost nookie, she was sorely underestimating the true meaning of pain. She groaned and lifted her hand to touch the side of her face where Dean had pummeled her and found a decent sized lump forming. It was certain to turn into a nasty bruise by the morning. She also noticed that it was considerably cooler than before and when she tentatively opened her eyes she found herself staring up at the night sky.

 Not too far away she could hear Dean’s distinctive, gruff huffing and the sound of a shovel breaking ground. _Shit, shit, shit!_ Her eyes focused on him digging furiously at what she assumed was to be a resting place for her body.

 Kristin attempted to roll over onto her stomach in an effort to slink away unnoticed but his senses must have been on high alert because as soon as she made the move, he ceased digging and glared over at her.

 “Well, well, look who’s awake.” He tossed the shovel onto the pile of dirt and stalked over to her, like a predator ready to strike. “I was hoping you’d be awake when I put you in the ground.”

 The thought of being buried alive terrified her beyond belief and it must have shown on her face because he grinned with an evil sense of satisfaction glimmering in his eyes. She was on her back again, holding her hands out in front of her, palms up in a silent plea for him to stop advancing.

 “Please, you don’t have to do this.”

 “Oh, but I do.” He stopped just inches from her and knelt down. “If I can’t have you, no one will.”

 The wheels in Kristin’s head were spinning. If she tried to fight, he would surely overpower her especially since she was still a little weak from the assault. If she tried to run, the nausea would kick in from the head trauma and he would catch her before she was able to call for help. The only thing to do now was give in to the fantasy and hopefully bargain her way out of the grave situation.

 “Please, I made a mistake.” She sat up slowly so he wouldn’t assume she was about to take off. “I’m sorry, I never wanted to hurt you.”

 “It’s a little late for sorry, Sarah.”

 “No, it’s not. We can start over.” She reached out and touched his face carefully. He flinched at first, but allowed the contact. “You still love me, don’t you?”

 “Of course I love you,” he ground out. “I told you, I would have given you everything.”

 “Then let’s get out of here. Start fresh. I promise I won’t even _think_ about William again.”

 By now Dean’s expression had started to soften as he considered her words. He ran one hand through her tangled locks adoringly and grabbed the back of her head, bringing her closer to his face. She gasped when he slowly covered her lips with his own. The kiss was slow and deep, and her head spun wildly at the sensation. Possessed or not, Dean was an amazing kisser.

 Almost a minute passed before he broke the kiss and leaned back slightly to gaze into her eyes. Kristin was breathless, her eyes slightly hooded both from relief and elation. He grinned, but it was more sinister than she had hoped for.

 “You really think I’m that stupid?”

 In an instant, the grip on her hair intensified and she screamed as he rose to his feet and yanked at the same time. Her hands immediately went to battle with his own, desperately trying to free her hair. Her skull felt like it was going to be ripped open as he took one step, two.

 All of a sudden, Dean let out a painful yelp and released her, toppling to the ground himself. Kristin scrambled away from him, not wanting to waste the opportunity to put distance between them in case he recovered quickly. Once she was a few feet away she looked up to find Sam standing over his brother with a glowing orange fire iron.

 “Dean?” he shouted, watching him closely for a reaction. “Are you... _you_?”

 “I’m fine, Sam,” he growled, hunched over gripping his side where Sam had stuck him. “What the hell did you stab me with?!”

 “Hot iron doused in salt.” He shrugged nonchalantly and tossed it to the side. “Was worth a shot.”

 He offered a hand to Dean who grudgingly took it, cursing at the searing pain running through him. It would leave a nice welt, but he would live.

 “Never a dull moment with you Winchester boys,” Kristin said from her spot on the ground.

 “Kristin,” Dean said solemnly as he limped over to her.

 He dropped to the ground beside her and to her surprise, gripped the sides of her face gently, turning her head in both directions to assess her wounds. He looked positively miserable, no doubt beating himself up inside at how close he had come to actually killing her.

 “Dean, I’m fine.”

 “I hurt you,” he said firmly. “I’m so sorry, I tried to stop.”

 “I know you did.” She patted his hands, which were still on her face and gave a small smile. “It wasn’t your fault.”

 “Can you stand?” Sam cut in, leaning over to study her as well.

 “I think so.”

 “I got her,” Dean cut in when Sam tried to lend a hand. A bit of deja vu passed through his mind at the situation. He gripped her arms gently and rose with her, ignoring the heat from his wound and focusing on ensuring her well-being.

 When she was fully upright a wave of dizziness knocked her into Dean’s arms and he instinctively tightened his grip on her. His overwhelming need to protect her was in penance for his earlier assault, which he wasn’t going to forgive easily.

 “Remind me never to piss you off,” she joked at him when the wave finally dissipated.

 “What happened?” Sam asked worriedly. “Who were you?”

 “Daniel. Sarah’s fiance and William’s brother.” He looked over at Sam, a determined expression on his face. “I know what happened.”


	8. Well, That Was Unexpected

“He _murdered_ them?” Sam asked from across the room. He was currently digging through the first aid kit they always kept fully stocked, hoping to find the small tube of burn cream.

 “Yeah, right here on this property.” Dean winced as he lifted the shirt over his head and discarded it. “He buries the bodies, then hangs himself in his room. Only, he left a note saying that Sarah and William had run off together and he was so grief stricken that he couldn’t go on.”

 “So no one knew the truth,” Kristin finished for him.

 “Jesus,” Sam huffed. He tossed the cream to his brother and sat down on the couch next to Kristin who was currently nursing a bottle of aspirin. “So these ghosts are just replaying their last night on earth.”

 “Yep. Sarah and William get it on before Danny boy ganks ‘em.”

“But why possess us?” Kristin wondered out loud.

 “Maybe they were drawn to us, because of what we do. Maybe they figured we could help them,” Sam shrugged.

 “Say you’re right. Why not just friggin’ _ask_ for help instead of...what they did.”

 “Maybe they wanted to go out with a bang,” Dean snickered.

 “Really dude?”

 “Do you ever get tired of being a walking innuendo?” Kristin countered.

 “Do you ever get tired of walking right into them?”

 Kristin huffed and leaned back further into the couch, her head still pounding from the walloping Dean had given her.

 “It probably wasn’t a coincidence that they tried to attach themselves to two brothers and the woman they rolled in with,” Sam speculated. “Familiar territory, I guess.”

 Whatever the reason, I would like to salt and burn this little love triangle so I can have a peaceful night’s sleep.” Kristin rose from the couch, stumbling a little when another wave of dizziness hit.

 “ _We_ are going to salt and burn these creepers. _You_ are going to take it easy back in your room,” Dean said very pointedly.

 “I told you, I’m fine.”

 “You’re not fine.” Dean too rose from his spot on the bed, stepping into her path. “You’re going to bed. Sam and I will check on you afterwards.”

 “Dean--”

 “Kristin, please.” His words were firm but softer than usual. His guilt was still surpassing his frustrations with her normal stubborn behavior and it jarred her once again.

 Truth be told, she would love nothing more than to curl up under the covers and slip into sweet, uninterrupted slumber. There was always that pesky need to be in control, to prove that she could hold her own and it was the reason for most of their arguments. This time, she was far too beat and also took pity on him.

 “Ok, fine, you win.” Kristin threw up her hands and side stepped him, heading for the door. “I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.”

 “We’ll be back soon,” Sam shouted before she disappeared into the hallway.

 

****

 

As promised, a few hours later even in her deep sleep, Kristin felt that distinct tingle of being watched and snapped her eyes open.

 “It’s just me,” he assured before she had a chance to panic.

 “Dean,” she breathed. “Everything go ok?”

 “Sarah and William are taken care of. Daniel’s _vision_ pretty much lead me right to their bones.”

 “Good.” Kristin let out a small yawn, her eyes already starting to close again. “What about Daniel?”

 “Sammy found out he was buried in a cemetery back home. We’re thinking maybe something of his was left behind, but we have to find out which room was his in the morning.”

 "So, he could still come back?” There was a hint of worry in her voice, but she tried to keep it under control.

 “Already salted your doorway and windows. Sammy’s making a barrier for us too. No one’s going to hurt you, again.”

 “My hero,” she drawled with a smile. “And stop blaming yourself. I know you would never intentionally hurt me.”

 “But I did.”

 “Dean, shut up before I kick your ass.”

 “At least we’d be even.”

 “I love how you can even turn an attempt at forgiveness into an argument.” She sat up on her elbows, cocking an eyebrow at him. “I think you like seeing me all hot and bothered with anger.”

 Her plan to switch the focus from Dean’s self berating to flirtatious humor had worked, as it always did, because Dean’s face slowly softened and he couldn’t help but shake his head in appreciation.

 “We shouldn’t waste it. Want to make out some more?”

 “Maybe some other time, Romeo.” Kristin grinned and laid back down to snuggle under the covers. “I need my beauty rest.”

 “You don’t need it.”

 “Goodnight, Dean.”

 

****

 

Kristin’s dreams were plagued with brotherly fights and a sweaty rendezvous that left her even more exhausted than before. She hoped that once they were on the road again and put this place far out of their rearview mirror, things would return to normal. Well, as normal as a hunter’s life could possibly get. She didn’t like the tension - both sexual and vile - that came from being inside these walls.

 She bathed and dressed quickly, eager to rid the property of Daniel’s lingering spirit. She cringed at the fresh bruises on her body from her violent encounter the night before, but swallowed a few more aspirin to ease the pain before facing the boys.

 As she made her way towards Sam’s room, she could hear the muffled sounds of an argument. It was clear the brothers were having words with each other, but instead of barging in to break up the quarrel she paused just outside the door to listen.

 “I don’t want to hear it anymore, Sam.”

 “Dean, I’m trying to help you. Why won’t you just listen to what I have to say?”

 “Because it doesn’t matter. I told you what happens if you try to renege!”

 “You don’t know that! We could--”

 “Dammit, Sam, enough!” The urgency in Dean’s voice even made Kristin hold her breath. “It’s done. I’ve accepted it.”

 “You mean you’ve given up.”

 “I don’t wanna talk about this anymore.”

 Before Kristin could even register the sound of footsteps drawing closer, the door was flung open and Dean nearly plowed right into her. 

“Jesus!” she shrieked, clearly startled. She clasped a hand over her heart, feeling it pump madly within her chest.

 “What did you hear?” Dean asked a little too harshly, fixing her with a stare that made her blood cold.

 “Nothing. Just some bickering.” She stole a look over at Sam who was clenching his fists down at this side. “What the hell is going on?”

 “Nothing,” Dean countered, also stealing a sideways glance at his brother. The warning in his eyes was not lost on her. “Sam has a hard time letting shit go.”

 Sam snorted, shook his head and turned to take a few steps back as if creating distance would deter him from either saying the wrong thing or clocking Dean right in the jaw. There were a few times she had stumbled upon similar arguments and felt the negative energy just ready to explode. Luckily, none of those instances had resulted in actual fisticuffs.

 "Ok…” Kristin drew out dramatically, eyes still flickering between the two. “Is it safe to enter?”

 “It’s fine. I’m heading down to talk to the owner.” Dean pushed past her and disappeared around the corner towards the staircase before she could even blink.

 “Good God,” she huffed, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. “Sassy little shit, isn’t he?”

 Sam said nothing as he started shoving clothing and books into his duffle bag. She watched as he stomped all over the room, gathering more belongings and not once acknowledging her presence. She suddenly felt very awkward being in the middle of this aftershock.

 “Hurricane Winchester,” she mumbled to herself, glancing towards the exit. “Seriously, what’s up with you two?”

 “Nothing,” Sam grunted, tossing his bag onto the bed.

 “You’re really going to play that game with me?” Kristin crossed her arms, sidestepping into his peripheral vision. “You don’t get into a screaming match over _nothing_.”

 “Dean is just a stubborn _ass_.”

 “Yeah?” It sounded an awful lot like _duh!_

 The internal battle was evident on Sam’s face. He wanted to tell her about Dean’s deal, get the burden off himself and be able to have another ally to convince his brother. He knew she would fight to save Dean’s soul, even if Dean wouldn’t do it himself. The truth was, it wasn’t his place to tell her and it would only serve to drive a bigger wedge between the brothers.

 “I can’t tell you.” Sam cringed, knowing her feelings would be hurt.

 He was right, her feelings were hurt. It was apparent by the sharp intake of breath through her nose and her arms falling helplessly at her sides. This hesitance was unnerving, especially after they had shared so much.

 “I thought we didn’t have secrets.”

 “We don’t. I’ve always been honest with you.” Sam finally closed the distance between them, coming to stand right in front of her. He reached out and squeezed her shoulders in apology. “This is something Dean has to tell you.”

 Kristin cocked her head to the side, studying the younger Winchester’s face. Those big puppy dog eyes bore into hers and she almost had to look away; they had the same effect as looking directly into the sun. The worry lines on his face were deeper than usual and his jaw clenched a little too much for her liking. This was that silent Winchester language she had been studying hard. Every muscle contraction, every line, every huff meant something. This time, she had figured it out.

 “He’s in trouble, isn’t he?” she finally asked, her voice more desperate than she had intended.

 “He doesn’t seem to think so,” Sam sighed, dropping his arms once again. “You’re going to have a hell of a time getting the information from him.”

 “I’ll handle it.”

 

****

 

By sunrise the following morning, the final spirit that haunted the bed and breakfast was put to rest and their current case turned out to be no more than an elaborate hoax. The group was exhausted, but decided to keep pushing forward in order to put as much distance between them and the town as possible. The air actually felt lighter as the Impala sped down the road, the building getting smaller in the rear view mirror.

 Kristin slumped in the back seat, her sunglasses hiding her scrutiny as her eyes went back and forth between the brothers. It had been all business since their little tiff, neither one mentioning anything. She didn’t even bother to broach the subject because she knew with Dean, it was all about timing. He was a viable Fort Knox when it came to matters such as this, but there were methods of breaking in. Sure, she wasn’t nearly as equipped as Sam may have been considering he spent almost his entire life with Dean, mastering the buttons to push, but she was hopeful that she could get in. Just not today.

 As the radio played on, her thoughts began to wander again to the giant sexed up elephant in the room. It was damn near impossible to look at Sam without feeling a surge of heat run the entire length of her body. There was no denying that the Winchester men had genes that put Greek gods to shame, but it was the first time that she actually _looked_ at Sam. Up until this point he had been the sweet, comforting security blanket that eased her restless nights and kept her grounded. Never had it occurred to her that there was a passionate being hidden underneath that calm exterior. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if all that animal magnetism was pure Sam or a little bit of William mixed in.

 Dean’s voice drifted into her ears, but she was unaware of the words as she was suddenly yanked from her thoughts.

 “Huh?”

 “I said, we’ll regroup once we get to Bobby’s.” Dean squinted at her through the rearview mirror. “Something on your mind?”

 “Nope. Just tired.” Kristin settled deeper into the seat, crossing her arms to emphasize her point.

 “You’re about as bad at lying as Sammy is.”

 “And you’re about as annoying as a thorn in my ass,” she countered.

 “You’re...ass...whatever,” Dean replied pathetically, steering his attention back to the road.

 “Good one dude.” Sam smirked, throwing a sideways glance at his brother. Dean ignored the look and simply turned up the radio.

 Kristin chuckled at the exchange. At least they weren’t yelling at each other anymore which was a relief. They stopped once for gas and a bathroom break, but continued on for several hours until they finally reached Bobby’s place, not making much conversation.

 As they pulled into the driveway, Kristin’s Mustang came into view from the open garage on the left. She beamed with pride and relief that her baby had been well taken care of. They had agreed to take one car at a time to save gas and have more time together to discuss cases, but she missed the familiar feel of being behind the wheel. Once they came to a halt she promptly jumped out and made a beeline for the object of her affection.

 “She’s the female version of you,” Sam stated, watching in amusement as she disappeared from view. Not doubt she was running her hands all over the exterior, speaking comforting words just as Dean always did.

 “And you had sex with her.” Dean grinned and slapped him on the back. “Psychoanalyze that one geek.”

 Sam’s face dropped, but before he could think of a sly remark Dean had already started towards the house. With a huff, Sam followed behind vowing to get his brother back sometime during the evening.

 Bobby met them at the door, a beer in each hand. “Bout damn time you boys got here.” It was his way of saying ‘I missed you’ without cutting off his manhood. “Where’s Kristin?”

 “Getting reaquainted with her wheels,” Dean replied, flipping the cap off the beer Bobby offered him.

 Bobby grunted in reply, turning to head inside which was a signal for the boys to follow. They all settled at the kitchen table, taking long draws from their bottles and making small talk while they waited for her to venture in.

 “Started without me?” Kristin feigned annoyance, joining them just moments later. “Thanks for taking care of Roni while I was gone, Bobby.”

 “Sure, kid. Grab yourself a beer from the fridge and catch up.” He took another long swig and leaned back in the chair. “How’d the hunt go?”

 “Fine.”

 “Great.”

 “Boring.”

 All three answers were fired at once followed by random glances around the room and disinterested sipping of beers. Bobby narrowed his eyes, giving each of them a separate prodding stare.

 “Ok, idjits. What the hell happened this time?”

 “Nothing. Just your run of the mill ghostly haunting,” Kristin insisted. “Not much to say.”

 "Uh huh,” Bobby muttered. “Is that why you’re turning redder than a nun in a whore house?”

 All eyes were on Kristin, who froze under the scrutiny, removing the bottle from her lips and setting it down on the table.

 “Well, that is _adorable_ ,” Dean said with a shit-eating grin.

 “Shut up,” she hissed.

 “Any word on Kristin’s demon?” Sam interjected, changing the subject before it got too ugly and embarrassing for the both of them.

 Bobby was silent for a few seconds, deciding whether it was a good idea to just let the interrogation stop. He figured it was best not to poke the beast. “Yeah, actually.”

 “What is it?” Kristin’s shame had instantly disappeared and she was now leaning forward attentively.

 “I got a couple hits near Hastings, Nebraska. Teenagers killing their families, blaming it on hallucinations, possession. Sounds like your demon’s MO.”

 “Any of them in the same circles? Some kind of weird pact?” she asked, just to make sure.

 “Not that I can see. Two different school districts. One blue collar family, one rich, Kennedy type.”

 “It’s worth checking out.” Dean finished his beer and looked over at Kristin. “You good to go in the morning?”

 She nodded, the wheels spinning in her head. They could be walking into a trap, but her thirst for revenge outweighed her trepidation.

 “I’m beat to hell.” Dean stood, stretching his tired muscles with a groan. “You kids play nice.” He winked at Sam, who gave him a scowl that pierced right through him, before trudging up the stairs to retire for the evening.

 “I’m gonna stay up for a little while,” Kristin announced, heading towards the living room. “I’ll take the couch.”

 “Good chat,” Bobby huffed. He would never admit it, but he liked having the company of the Three Stooges. It was a good thing the ever observant Sam noticed the real tone behind his words and stayed to shoot the shit for a while longer.

 Kristin sunk down into the sofa, breathing in the old, familiar scent that reminded her of home. Her parents home that is. She missed everything about it from the hundreds of books which contained just about every detail of the supernatural to the large backyard where her adopted father taught her how to shoot a gun for the first time. She smiled fondly at the thought of Bobby, who had become another important man in her life in such a short time.

 Her thoughts then drifted to the possible trap they were walking into tomorrow. It seemed a little too perfect that the demon was running his old game and so close to where they were currently resting their heads. They would have to be cautious, because she was certainly going to take the bait if it meant getting closer to sending this thing back to the pits of Hell where it belonged. A small part of her wanted to go on her own and leave the Winchesters out of danger, but she knew the attempt would be futile. She also knew that she would get the ass chewing of a lifetime from Dean if she even _thought_ about going after this thing alone. When he dug his heels in, there was no shutting him down.

 Her reverie was broken when Sam shuffled into the room, eyeing the spot next to her tentatively. “You mind?”

 “I never mind.” She patted the spot enthusiastically, scooching over just enough to make room for her tall companion.

 She watched him closely as he tried to make himself comfortable, fidgeting here and there until he finally settled into looking completely out of his element. His eyes flickered from one corner of the room to the other and he picked at his fingernails idly. She knew what was coming.

 “Can we talk about...what happened at the bed and breakfast?”

 “I had a feeling this wasn’t over.” She sighed and turned her body so that she was facing him, one leg tucked underneath her bottom. “What’s on your mind, Sam?”

 “I don’t want things to be weird between us, but I can’t ignore the fact that we’ve kind of crossed over this, sort of, barrier.”

 “A clothing barrier, for sure.”

 Sam let out a small laugh. “Indeed. That’s not what I’m talking about though.”

 “I know.” Kristin’s eyes wandered down to her hands which were now twisting into knots on her lap. “That doesn’t mean we can’t move on from here.”

 “Move on, right.” Sam cleared his throat, trying to find the appropriate words. “Where does that lead us, exactly?”

 “Where do _you_ want it to lead us?”

 “I asked you first.”

 “Samuel Winchester, you’re really going to play that card?” There was a hint of playful teasing in her voice, but she really was anxious about how her next words could affect him. “To be honest, I never really thought of you in _that way_ before,” she admitted.

 “And now?”

 Kristin was taken aback by the sudden intensity in his stare. She realized with vexation that Dean wasn’t the only one who could break you down with just one pointed look. These brothers and their damned Winchester hypnosis.

 “I don’t know,” she said with an earnest shrug. She bit her bottom lip, an uneasiness settling into her as she waited for his reaction. She certainly didn’t expect the answer that she got.

 Sam leaned in and pressed his lips against her own, eliciting a surprised gasp. He felt soft and warm, with a hint of hops from the beer he had just consumed. It sent a shiver down her spine just from the memory of what happened after the last time they had been so close. Kristin closed her eyes and melted into the kiss, letting all rational thought fall from her brain. That is, until one glaring epiphany popped up to rain on her parade. This was wrong.

 Sam must have felt the energy shift because he broke the kiss at the exact same time her mind screeched to a halt. They looked at each other, both looking quite comical with the same ‘deer in headlight’ expression. She could swear she heard a clock ticking in the background. Then, like two kindred spirits they both started laughing; actually laughing!

 “That didn’t go as planned,” Sam admitted, shaking his head.

 “I’m sorry. You’re a great kisser, it’s just…”

 “It felt wrong. I don’t know why.”

 “Yes!” Kristin sighed with relief. Thank God she wasn’t the only one who felt uncomfortable because she really didn’t want to be the bitch that shut Sam Winchester down. “I would do anything for you, Sam. You’re the closest thing I have to a real brother.”

 “Yikes, the brother card.” Sam winced, feigning hurt. “I guess that’s not so bad.”

 “I really am sorry, Sam.” Kristin leaned forward, resting her forehead against his.

 “Stop apologizing.” He gave her a genuine smile that melted her heart. “What is wrong with us?”

 “I know! You’re hot, I’m hot. You’re sweet, I’m funny. We’re clearly the brains of this operation.”

 “The only logical explanation is that we’re completely crazy.”

 “I’m sure Dean will think so,” she replied with a laugh.


End file.
